Behind The City Lights
by InsanityInMyMind
Summary: Jade moves to LA, to work for a popular PA agent. Little did he know, he was going to be more involved than he had originally planned. A story of a complicated relationship, set in the lights of Los Angeles.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: The Creature Walks  
**_You've been dreaming about having new friends in a ghost town_

Jade felt a tremor run through his body as the elevator doors closed in front of him. He pressed the button for the seventeenth floor and took a deep breath, glancing down at his watch nervously. By his time it read that it was seven minutes to nine. Being late for an interview was nothing but trouble, but being too early made you seem over anxious. He wanted to appear calm, collected, and confident. The complete opposite of everything he felt at that moment

The elevator came to a smooth stop, and the doors slid open. Jade stepped out and stopped in front of the large, frosted glass doors. The bold, black lettering above them read "Adam Carson, et al. Public Relations." He held his portfolio to his chest and drew in a long breath, reaching out one arm and pulling the door open. The office was bright and spacious. In front of him was a desk where a pretty, young receptionist sat, typing things into a computer. Behind her desk was an open kitchen that acted as a median between the two offices. To his left and right were separate waiting areas. The one to his left was empty, and the one to his right had ten people waiting in it.

Jade walked up to the receptionist, who's name placard identified her as Amy, and waited politely to be acknowledged.

She looked up and smiled.

"Yes, hi. How are you?" Jade asked cordially.

"I'm doing well, thank you. May I help you with something?" She responded politely, but to the point.

"My name is Jade Puget, and I have a nine o'clock interview with Mr. Carson."

She sighed softly, letting her smile falter for the briefest of moments. "Everyone has a nine o'clock interview with Mr. Carson. Unfortunately he isn't the best at scheduling these types of things. This is the tenth day of interviews. How the process works is that I take down names in order of arrival, and he will see you when he sees you. Generally the interviews don't last too long, so your wait should be minimal. You may have a seat on the right."

"Thank you." Jade said, feeling ill at ease. Ten days of interviews could only mean that Mr. Carson was extremely hard to satisfy.

Seven more people entered after Jade, most of whom had to sit on the other side of the waiting room. At nine o'clock sharp, Amy called the first name. Two minutes later, the applicant left, looking beyond disheartened.

The next few interviews went just as quickly, the longest lasting no more than five minutes. At twenty minutes past nine, someone else entered the office. He was wearing black jeans, a black sweater and Chuck Taylors, making everyone else in the room look well overdressed. Jade adjusted his tie, knowing that this other applicant didn't stand a chance.

"Good morning." He said, walking up to the receptionist.

She sighed, shaking her head. "You're late Mr. Burgan. You know if Mr. Carson sees you dressed like this, he's going to have an aneurysm. He's already having a terrible day. He's gone through seven applicants already, and –"

"Don't fret. I have a change of clothes in my office. He'll be done by quarter 'til, easy, and I'll be changed by then. Please tell me he' s had his coffee. I don't want to be on conference call with him if he's caffeine deprived."

"He has." She said, shuffling through some papers. She handed a stack to him. "These are your messages."

"Thank you, Miss Amy. I'll be in my office if you need me."

Jade watched the exchange in amusement. If Mr. Carson had hired this man, then he couldn't be that bad. Could he?

At nine thirty seven, the only other applicant that had arrived before Jade stormed out of the office, muttering indecipherable nonsense under her breath. Jade took a deep breath, clutching his portfolio and his resume. He knew he was next, but waited patiently to be called.

"Mr. Puget, Mr. Carson will see you, now. Through those doors, and into the second office." She said, the same way she had said it to the people before Jade.

Jade stood, feeling faint, and walked past the desk, and through another set of frosted glass doors. The first office he entered was clean, and well decorated, but vacant. He assumed this would be the office that Mr. Carson's assistant would have. He took a deep breath and walked into the second, much larger office. The room was bright, as three sides of the room were made of glass, two of which overlooked Hollywood's busy, city streets. It was sparsely decorated, the centerpiece being the large glass desk at which Mr. Carson was seated, with his head down, looking over paperwork.

"Have a seat." Mr. Carson said, without so much as an upward glance.

Jade sat down in one of the two chairs in front of the desk, placing his portfolio on his lap. He had a feeling he would be staying long.

"Resume."

Jade slipped his resume across the desk, startled when Mr. Carson reached for it immediately. All was silent for a few excruciatingly long moments while Mr. Carson looked over Jade's resume.

"Graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with degrees in marketing and business administration. Attended the University of Pennsylvania School of business. Ivy League. Don't think you're the first applicant with Ivy League credentials under their belt." Mr. Carson said, eyes still scanning the paper in front of him. He still had yet to even give Jade a fleeting glance. "You interned for Madison and Arthur for three years. They're second in the business, and I intend to keep them there. What do you know about my business?"

"You were in Forbes and Fortune 500 'Companies to Watch' for the past four years, San Francisco, Vancouver, Toronto, Dallas, Chicago, Nashville, New York, London, and Paris. You are the most sought after PR firm in the entire country, and within the next few years, I can safely assume that yours may be the biggest firm in the world." Jade was so glad he had researched this. Not that he had much researching to do. This is the firm that he had wanted to work for since he started grad school.

"Flattery gets you nowhere, Mr. Puget." Mr. Carson said sharply.

"On the contrary, sir. In this business, flattery gets you anywhere."

This comment earned Jade what he doubted many of the other applicants got: genuine acknowledgement. Mr. Carson looked up, stealing Jade's breath away in under a second. His eyes were such an intense shade of blue, that Jade thought they resembled that of an ocean at dawn, when you're looking down on it from twenty thousand feet. His shaggy hair hung across his forehead in a way that only rolling out of bed could create. His nose and ears looked out of place on his masculine face, both features only adding to his beauty. It was evident that he hadn't shaved in days, something that Jade certainly hadn't expected. He was wearing a blood red dress shirt that Jade saw in the window of Prada on Rodeo, which he had salivated over. This only made his eyes look more intense. In short, he was everything a man should be: Stunning. Masculine. Well Dressed.

Mr. Carson raised an eyebrow, and tilted his head to the side smugly. "And what do you think makes you even near qualified enough for me?"

"I worked for the only firm that even came close to matching your numbers. They would have given me a small island in Fiji to work for them, but I have only wanted to work for you. Knowing your reputation, they said that when you refuse to hire me, they will be more than happy to. I have a list of clients who will be elated to have your firm handle their events if they hear that I'm working for you."

"You didn't work for them. You weren't on their payroll. You were an intern." Mr. Carson said with an air of disgust.

"True, but their firm only hires those with a masters degree, as so does yours. I just completed grad school two weeks ago."

"Why should I hire you?" Mr. Carson said locking eyes with Jade

"I know more than most about this business, and what I don't know, I can learn.'

Mr. Carson scoffed. "You don't know a thing about Public Relations."

With that, Mr. Carson nodded to the door, signaling that the interview was finished.

He returned to the paperwork he was looking at when Jade had entered.

"Thank you so much for your time." Jade said genuinely.

"Uh huh." Mr. Carson said, picking up the phone and dialing.

Jade exited, closing the door behind him. He slowly made his way through the first office, thinking of how this had been the absolute worst interview that he had ever taken part in. He sighed and looked around the office, he saw that Amy was just hanging up the phone. "Mr. Carson wants to thank everyone for their time. He will not be seeing any more applicants, as the position has been filled."

Jade shook his head, slightly confused.

"Mr. Puget, please have seat." Amy said, her smile one of relief.

Jade looked around at the other applicants getting up and leaving. He was terribly confused. Mr. Carson hadn't given him so much as a hint of a smile, and suddenly he was hired? He felt like either doing a dance, or vomiting. When the other applicants left, Amy looked at him and smiled.

"After their conference call, Hunter will be out to do your paperwork with you and explain your duties and such. Welcome to the company, Mr. Puget."

"Wow, thank you. Please, call me Jade. And who is Hunter?" Jade asked, confused.

"Oh that would be Mr. Burgan. The one who is perennially late. We have a very casual office, save for when it's hiring time. Which is actually quite frequently. Conference call shouldn't be more than twenty minutes to a half hour. That will, of course be explained to you by Hunter." Amy said sweetly.

"I can't believe he…I thought he hated me." Jade said. He was expecting Mr. Carson to come out and tell him that he wasn't really hired; that it was all some joke. Amy dismissed his comment with the wave of her hand. "He hates everyone. But don't think he likes you. He just dislikes you the least. Who knows how he does this. The people he hires either quit because they can't handle the stress or go on to be promoted. Again, this is something Hunter will be sure to tell you."

"So what does Hunter do?"

"He's a PR Rep, just like Adam. He used to be Adam's assistant. He stuck it out, and now he's a Rep. They each have their own clients, but Adam usually handles the huge accounts."

Jade nodded and sat down in the same chair he had sitting in before the interview. Twenty five minutes later, Hunter came out of the office, wearing the same outfit he had been wearing when he had walked in. So much for changing. Hunter walked past Amy and smiled at Jade, stopping right in front of him.

"Congratulations! I'm Hunter."

Jade couldn't help the laughter that bubbled out of his mouth. "Thank you, I'm Jade."

Hunter smiled widened and he took Jade's extended hand, shaking it. "Pleased to meet you. You know that 'et al' after it says 'Adam Carson?' Yeah that's me. I'll tell you what kind of doom is in store for you. My office is this way."

Jade stood and followed Hunter past Amy's desk and through the set of frosted glass doors that didn't lead back to Adam. Hunter looked over his shoulder at Jade to speak.

"This is my assistant, Ashley's office. She's in Milan right now. She'll be back on Thursday."

Hunter pulled one of the doors open and held it for Jade. Jade smiled his thanks as he passed through. Hunter's office was the same size as Adam's, which thoroughly surprised Jade. The only difference was that only one side of Hunter's office over Hollywood. Hunter's office was cluttered with paper, a television, two computers, a couch, and framed photos of what he assumed were friends and family. It was safe to say that Hunter was Adam's polar opposite.

"You can go ahead and sit at my desk." Hunter said, moving behind the desk and rifling through a set of drawers. He pulled out three booklets and a stack of paper. Jade sat down across from Hunter, looking on nervously. "So what is this 'doom' you're talking about?"

Hunter laughed, his blue eyes sparkling. "Adam's a monster."

"He's a legend in the business." Jade said, feeling as though it was his place to defend Adam.

"Of course he is. How do you think he got there? By being nice? No way, man. I've been with him for the past three and a half years. I know him well enough by now to be able to say those things about him honestly."

"Oh." Jade said, dread settling in the pit of his stomach. "Did you start the company with him?"

Hunter shook his head. "That would be Michael. He's the head of the San Fran office. The company started with Adam and Michael five years ago, Michael being Adam's assistant. They started in San Francisco, and there was such a huge demand that Adam thought it was best to expand. He hired two more Reps, three more assistants, and moved down to LA by himself to open the office here. He hired me as his assistant, and it was just the two of us for a while. Then he made me a Rep, hired two more assistants, and then set about conquering the rest of the US and Canada. Most of the offices have two Reps, two assistants, and a receptionist, some have three of each. The office in Paris is the newest, having opened three months ago."

"Wow." Jade said, truly stunned. "Has he been without an assistant for a long time?"

"A few weeks. Nothing personal, but most of his assistants don't last very long. They're all wet behind the ear post Grads who have no idea what it's like to actually work for someone. My advice to you is this: do what he says, when he says it, and you'll be fine. He's not the warm fuzzy kind of guy, but he isn't a complete asshole. Well, not all the time anyway."

Jade nodded. "So if I'm having a bad day and need a hug, he's not going to be sympathetic?"

"Absolutely not. He's gotten meaner over the past six months. He used to have a sense of humor, but that's gone. He had a nasty, nasty break up that just about killed him. He actually missed work for two whole days. When he had to have his wisdom teeth pulled last year, he was back at work the next day. That tells you what kind of things he can handle. I think he's seeing one of the clients, now, so at least he's getting laid again. Who knows. He doesn't really talk about his personal life anymore." Hunter paused for a moment. "Wow. Now that I've run my mouth and dished out Adam's entire load of dirty laundry, why don't we get you started on this?"

Jade smiled, feeling more at ease.

"Sorry. I'm kind of a gossip queen. I guess that's why I do what I do."

"It's definitely the right job for it." Jade agreed.

"Okay. This is the benefits package. We offer great benefit, so fill this out. This is the personal information, the background check agreement, the reference form, the proprietary agreement, the harassment policy, and the short list of things our company has absolutely no tolerance for. Read them, sign them. This last stack here, explains pay rates, holidays, expenses, bonuses, and other little job perks. Read them, and sign them, too. If you have any questions, I'll be lying over there on that couch, watching TV." Hunter said, getting up and walking over to the aforementioned couch.

"I do have one question."

"Go for it." Hunter said, looking over from his prone position.

"Why are you doing this with me? Why isn't Mr. Carson?"

"Adam. We only address each other formally when there are applicants or Human Resources people floating around. And because he doesn't like to. He finds it tedious. When you finish all of this, you'll meet with him for maybe two minutes tops, he'll give you tomorrow's assignment and then send you home. He's very hands-off when it comes to that. New hires are like children to him. He'd prefer not to deal with you until he's sure you know what you're doing. Me? I don't mind it so much."

"Ah, I see."

Jade filled out page after page of information, skimming through the policies that he found important. He was fine with everything until he came to the final page, which dictated his pay.

"Are you kidding?" Jade asked aloud.

"About what?" Hunter asked, getting up off the couch and sitting next to Jade. "Let me see."

He took the page from Jade, reading it over. "That's the standard pay for Adam's assistants. If you want to negotiate that, then you'll have to take it up with him. He makes the final decisions on all of that."

"Negotiate?" Jade asked, looking up at Hunter. "Are you sure this is supposed to be an eight and not a three or something?"

Hunter looked at it again. "No, that's right."

"Eighty thousand dollars a year? To start?" Jade asked incredulously.

"And a four percent pay increase one year from your date of hire. Oh, you'll work for it, though." Hunter said with a smirk. "Sign that and ill send you over to Adam. I think he's ready to see you again, anyway."

Jade signed his name. No matter what kind of a monster Adam was, eighty thousand dollars was certainly worth it. He stood and piled the papers neatly.

"I'll take care of this, you go see Adam. Always knock first." Hunter said.

"Thanks. And thank you for being so helpful. I'll see you around." Jade said, shaking Hunter's hand again.

"You're very welcome." Hunter said, finally getting to return to his actual work.

Jade crossed the office, walking through what was now his office, and stopping at the doors to Adam's. He knocked lightly.

"Come in."

Jade walked through the doors, stopping in front of Adam's desk. "You wanted to see me?"

Adam looked up. "Everything signed?"

"Yes."

"Good. Apparently you're competent enough. The office you passed through is yours. I wouldn't suggest decorating it. In fact, don't do anything unless I expressly state that it's okay. Dress code is casual; as I'm sure the circumstances of today's dress have been explained to you. Your job is this: you handle all of my minor accounts and attend all the events that I do not want to attend. You are my right hand. I have high expectations and even higher standards. Do not let me down." Adam paused to emphasize his point. "As for tomorrow, I want you here at nine. Not five after, not three after. Nine. On the dot. There will be paperwork to file, accounts to process, and reservations to be booked. Word of advice, John-"

"Jade."

Adam looked momentarily put off. "Does it matter?"

"To me it does." Jade said meekly.

"Word of advice, _Jade_: do what I say, when I say it, and we wont have a problem. Understood?"

Jade nodded. "Yes."

"I'll see you tomorrow morning then." Adam said, returning to his paperwork.

"Goodbye, and thank you." Jade said, leaving the office.

When the door closed behind Jade, Adam, in the privacy of his office, gave a brief smile.

The beginning of Jade's first day wasn't bad at all. Adam greeted him as he passed through his office, but spent the rest of the morning at his desk. Hunter was in and out a lot, and his ears perked up when he happened to overhear the sound of what might have been two people laughing. Jade wished he could see Adam laugh, or at the very least, smile. He would be willing to put money on it that it was sexy beyond reason.

Somewhere around noon, Hunter barged into his office again.

"Howdy!" He greeted, tapping on Jade's desk.

"Hello there." Jade said, looking away from his task.

"Aren't you starving? I'm hungry like the wolf. Quick! Name the reference!"

"Duran Duran." Jade said like it was the most obvious thing in the entire world.

Hunter's eyes glittered jovially. "Oh, Jade. I like you so much more than I like everyone else here. And it's only your first day. You. Me. Food."

"Oh is Adam going to be coming?" Jade asked casually.

Hunter looked at him like he'd grown a second head. "I don't think Adam eats. You haven't discovered that he isn't human? We all think he drinks blood, or something. He hasn't come out of his office and blamed you for the sun being too bright yet?"

"Um. No. He's been in there all day."

Hunter raised his eyebrows. "Wow. He must be either really, really, really busy, or he likes you. Ignoring your mere is his way of saying he appreciates you." Jade smiled and shook his head, standing up. "Should I ask him if it's okay to go to lunch?"

Hunter dismissed his question with a wave of his hand. He walked over to Adam's door and opened it, peeking his head in. "Hey! I'm taking Jade to lunch. I have to tell him the rest of your life story."

Jade couldn't hear Adam's response, but saw Hunter nod. Hunter shut the door, turning to Jade and smiling. "You're free for one whole hour. Grab your jacket and let's go."

Jade grabbed his jacket from the coat closet, and followed Hunter into the front office. He chatted for a moment with Amy while Hunter grabbed his coat, and they left. They ate at a California Pizza Kitchen that was a few miles away from their building.

"Are you from LA?" Hunter asked through a mouthful of linguine.

"No. I was born and raised in Pennsylvania. I moved here two weeks ago. The day after I finished Grad School, actually. My parents had set aside some money for me to use after I got out of school, just in case I couldn't find a job right away, you know? Someone at the firm I had been working at before had told me there was an opening at Adam Carson's firm working for Adam himself, and I knew I at least had to try to get the job."

Hunter shook his head, unceremoniously slurping up a noodle. "Don't tell Adam that whole thing about your parents paying for everything. He hates that, since he had to really work for everything he has."

Jade scoffed. "My parents may have financed it, but I'm the one who paid for it."

Hunter nodded in understanding. "So what's your deal?"

"My deal?"

"Well, you can't want to work for Adam forever. Do you want to own your own firm? Do you just want the hookups so you can screw models and actresses?"

Jade grinned. "No, that's not it. And between you and me, models and actresses aren't my thing. Unless you're talking about the hot models in the Calvin Klein ads, and Brad Pitt."

"Oh." Hunter's grin turned wolfish. "You and Adam bat for the same team then."

Jade's face registered shock. "You're kidding."

"Nope. That designer he's rumored to be 'canoodling'? A guy. Barely a guy, but a guy nonetheless."

"Are they really?" Jade asked, feeling very much like he and Hunter were two very gossipy secretaries.

Hunter shrugged. "I've never seen them leave together. Except those few times they went to business lunches, but then they were only gone for an hour or so."

"How long does a quickie take?" Jade said, raising an eyebrow.

Hunter started laughing. "Jade. I like you. I like you a lot."

Jade grinned and shrugged. He could tell he and Hunter were going to be very good friends. Hunter picked up the tab, and they high-tailed it back to the office, already being five minutes late. When Jade made his way into his office, it was ten minutes past one.

As soon as he sat down, his phone rang, the screen displaying "Adam Carson."

"This is Jade."

"In my office. Now." Adam said shortly. He didn't sound angry, but Jade wouldn't let himself be deceived.

The line went dead and Jade hung up the phone, scurrying into Adam's office. He was turned around in his chair, back to Jade, and facing the windows in front of him. "That list of people needs to be called. Get on the phone with Versace and ask then what is taking them so long to get us that line of clothing they promised us. Explain to them, again, that Christina Ricci is going to an event that we are putting together, and if they don't get their acts together, she's going to be there naked. Call the New York office and ask them why I haven't seen their weekend reports yet. They should have had them here yesterday. Call the Renaissance Hotel and book the Grand Ballroom for January 18th, approximately twenty-two hundred people will be in attendance. This next month is going to be hectic, and I need you to be prepared. The Oscars are in February, and people are going to want their parties booked soon. My work load is going to triple, which means that yours will, too. I'm leaving for London next week, and I expect you to understand every single thing by the end of the week. Clear?"

"Yes." Jade said, scooping up the papers that were sitting on the end of Adam's desk.

"Oh, and Jade?" Adam asked. "How long is an hour?"  
Jade cringed. He knew he wouldn't be let off the hook. "Sixty minutes, sir."  
"Oh, because I was starting to think that you and I had different ideas of what an hour was. Next time, when I tell you that your lunch hour is sixty minutes, don't take seventy. Regardless of what great disappointments of mine you're out to lunch with. This is your first day. Now is not the time to start fucking up. Now you may leave."  
Jade skulked out of the office, making as little noise as possible. He knew he shouldn't have taken so long to at lunch, but he was having such a good time with Hunter and he didn't have any friends in LA, yet. Needless to say, he was disappointed with himself.  
By the end of the week, he had learned more than he thought humanly possible. When he had questions, he never went to Adam, but instead he asked Hunter or Ashley, Hunter's assistant. They were always more than happy to lend a hand and were thrilled that Jade had even lasted a week. As for Adam, he never made a comment either way. When Jade did something right, he ignored it, and when Jade did something wrong, he curtly explained what he did wrong and expressed that it need not happen again.  
Come Monday, Adam was out of the office. Jade's relief was apparent. He handled all of Adam's clients with an easy confidence, for which they were all glad. When Adam came back the following Monday, every single client had left him messages regarding Jade's exceptional performance. Again, no comments were made either way. When Jade was getting ready to leave on Monday evening, Adam was still working.  
Jade knocked on the door, waiting for Adam to acknowledge him.  
"Come in."  
"I've finished with the Marsden account, and just got off the phone with Des at Dior. She says the items have already been sent and should arrive here tomorrow. Marc says that the bags are ready and the Rep for Chanel says that he will be meeting with Marc tomorrow and hand delivering the perfumes. Kevin at Hilton wanted to know why Justin Timberlake staying at the Four Seasons made the cover of People, so I called People and explained to them that this was ridiculous. In the nicest way possible, of course. They promised us a layout on the recent parties at the Universal Hilton and swore that this would not happen again."  
Adam nodded. "Okay."  
Jade sighed. "Have a good night, Adam."  
Adam waited until Jade was at the door before calling him back. "And Jade? Tomorrow morning you'll be handling the Dolce and Gabbana after party. It's a big deal. We will be attending. The head designer will be here tomorrow afternoon, and will want complete details that are solid, so I need you on top of your game."  
Jade nodded. "Of course. Good night."  
Adam didn't respond, which was far from surprising. Jade left the office, went back to his own and collected his things. On his way out, he ran into Hunter.  
"Hey, man! Are you on your way home? Do you want a ride?"  
Jade smiled. "You don't have to go out of your way for me."  
"Oh, it's no problem."  
"I promise. My next paycheck, I'm getting a car."  
Hunter nodded. "I'd wait until around holiday time, but you should. People in New York take the subway, people in LA drive."  
"Hence the traffic."  
"Exactly."  
When they got down to the garage and into Hunter's car, Hunter glanced over at Jade. "Why so blue? I haven't heard Adam screaming at you, yet. Ash and I were talking about it earlier. We're worried."  
Jade chuckled. "I'm working really hard, and true, I get paid to, but Adam hasn't so much as given me a nod of approval. Nothing. Not even a Thank You when I bring him his coffee in the morning."  
Hunter chuckled. "Don't hold your breath for one. You could give him your left kidney and he won't even thank you for it. I'll estimate it at this: You'll get your first job next month, maybe. And two months after that, he'll thank you for something."  
Jade smiled. "Oh, I already have my first job. He's having me meet with the Dolce and Gabbana designer tomorrow afternoon, to go over the details of a party."  
Hunter looked over at Jade, completely stunned. "Wow. I didn't get my first job for three months. You're getting yours after only three weeks. Again, wow."  
Jade shrugged.  
"And PS, the designer you're meeting with tomorrow is the guy Adam's banging. So you know. He's a laugh and a half. Likeable guy, but bitchy if you get on his bad side. I wonder why Adam's having you deal with him." Hunter said absently. He looked over at Jade, an idea popping into his head. "This calls for a celebration, my friend! Dinner, on me! You game?"  
Jade smiled again. "Sure."  
Hunter smiled. "I wouldn't bring this up with Adam just yet, but this can only mean one thing: He likes you."  
"Gee. If this means he likes me, I'd hate to know what it would be like if he hated me."  
Hunter shuddered. "I've seen it, and it's not pretty. At. All."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter Two: I am Hollywood**__  
It's the diamonds and pills; It's the glamour that kills._

Jade had gotten to work early, even before Adam, and had started calling in everything that would be needed for this big Dolce and Gabbana party. He had been on the phone with the party planner for most of the morning and had somehow managed to book the ballroom at the Roosevelt Hotel for the event. The guest list was long enough to wall paper the Library Tower, and the entertainment would be the talk of the town for months to come. The gift bags would be ready by the end of the week, and he had made sure that every magazine from Vogue to Revolver would be there with bells on.

It was quarter to noon, and Jade had put an event of epic proportions together in mere hours. He didn't need Adam to pat him on the back for this one. He knew he had done a stellar job.  
He ate his lunch in the office kitchen, and was back at his desk by twelve thirty. At ten minutes past one, he got a call from Amy.  
"This is Jade."  
"Hello. The designer from Dolce and Gabbana is here. May I send him in?"  
"Yes. Thanks, Amy."  
"You're welcome."  
Jade took a deep breath and calmed himself. He was very proud of himself, but if this designer didn't like it, he was screwed. His door flew open, and he nearly gasped at the sight of this designer. No wonder Adam was sleeping with him, he was quite pretty. He was slim, well dressed, with skin like porcelain. His lips were well glossed, and he was wearing baby blue eye makeup that made his dark eyes seem even darker. His eyelashes were obviously fake, and his hair was cut in a way that even he – the King of Odd Haircuts – had never seen; short in the back and on one side, with a long swoop that covered half of his face.  
"Hello, there." He said with a sweet smile. "I'm Davey."  
Jade stood and extended his hand, shaking Davey's. "I'm Jade."  
"So you're Adam's new assistant. I've heard quite a bit about you. Is he in?"  
"Oh, yes. He's in his office."  
"Great. Grab your stuff, and we'll talk this out together." Davey said, waiting for Jade to collect his papers. Davey knocked obnoxiously on the glass.  
"Yes?"  
Davey burst through the door, pulling Jade along.  
"Hello, gorgeous." Davey drawled, batting his long eyelashes.  
"Hello, yourself." Adam said, smiling at the decadent creature.  
Jade's heart stopped in his chest. Adam's smile was absolutely glorious, and in his three weeks working with him, it was the first time he had seen it. As far as he was concerned, it was well worth the wait. He couldn't help the small spurt of jealousy that surged through him when Adam stood up and kissed Davey on the cheek. He didn't need a kiss, he just wanted Adam to bestow a small fraction of that attention on him. Just once.  
"Well, well." Davey began, perching himself on Adam's glass desk. "You told me I would like dear, little Jade, but you neglected to mention how stunning he was."  
Jade blushed deeply, busying himself by organizing the papers he was holding. When he looked up, he realized that Adam was inspecting him closely.  
"I doubt that would have been very professional of me to say." Adam held Jade's eyes for just a moment longer before returning his gaze to Davey.  
"Oh, you and your professionalism." Davey said with a click of his tongue.  
"What do you have for us, Jade?" Adam asked.  
"I haven't been able to get a hold of the planner since about eleven this morning, but I'm sure he'll be in touch with you later today, Davey." Jade began. "I have the Roosevelt Ballroom on Saturday night, December second. Every magazine has agreed to cover the event, and Vogue wants to do an interview with you afterwards. I'm sure you'll be able to set that up, but I can do it for you, if you want. They've promised at least four pages. They might even be able to get you on the cover for February. In Style has guaranteed a two page spread, as has Harper's Bazaar. Everyone will be there, and gifts have been graciously donated by Michelle, the Accessories rep. The LA weekly will have it in their fashion section for next week, as will the LA times. Revolver Magazine will be there, covering the music. We've done the unimaginable and managed to get Nine Inch Nails to play for the guests."  
Davey's eyes glittered. "You are amazing." He turned to Adam. "Adam, he's amazing. I love him."  
Jade bowed his head, trying to hide another blush.  
Adam nodded. "Good."  
Davey scoffed. "Is that all you have to say? When you say 'good' you must be meaning something else. Something like 'spectacular' or 'phenomenal.' Try those."  
Adam gave an uncomfortable laugh, something else that Jade had never been privy to. "Perhaps another time."  
Davey rolled his eyes. "He can't help it that he's that way."  
Jade shrugged. "If there's anything else you need, Davey, you know how to reach me."  
"What? No, no. Come to lunch with us! I'm sure Adam hasn't eaten yet, and you look like you could use a meal or two." Davey insisted.  
"I couldn't" Jade declined. "I actually just ate, and I still have so much work to do."  
Davey frowned. "All right."  
Davey hopped off the desk and walked over to Jade, hugging him tightly. "Thank you so much for all of your work. At least I appreciate it. And somewhere, deep down, Adam appreciates it, too."  
"You're welcome."  
"Oh! One last thing. Sometime next week, you two need to meet me down at the studio. I need to dress you for the event. Matching suits. How does that sound?"  
Jade looked to Adam, who sighed. "I guess I can carve out some time for us. I'll call you later and let you know when, after I check my schedule."  
"Later?" Davey asked, beginning to pout. "Aren't you going to lunch with me?"  
"I can't. I have a lot of work to do, and someone needs to keep an eye on Jade."  
"He knows what he's doing. And if he needs something, I'm sure Hunter's floating around here somewhere."  
"Which makes me even more uncomfortable. You know Hunter." Adam said uneasily.  
"But, babe..." Davey's eyes widened, and if Davey wasn't blocking the door, Jade would have been out of that office like a bat out of hell.  
Adam shook his head. "Next time. I promise."  
Davey rolled his eyes, no longer pouting, but obviously still unhappy. "Yeah, yeah. You say that every time."  
Davey spun on his heel and stormed out of the office, making more noise than someone that small should be capable of. Adam turned to Jade and just looked at him.  
Jade opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when he saw the corner of Adam's mouth turn up in a ghost of a smile.  
Jade smiled gently, bowing his head. "I'll, uh, get back to work."  
Adam nodded, the smile disappearing. "Good idea."  
"Davey wants us at his studio in twenty minutes. He has picked out a few looks for us for the party on Saturday night." Adam said, walking into Jade's office.  
Jade looked up at Adam blankly.  
Adam blinked rapidly in frustration. "That means we're going. Now."  
"Oh." Was all Jade could manage to say. He stood from his desk, went to the coat closet, and grabbed his jacket. When he slid it on, he turned around to face Adam, who was putting his own jacket on.

Adam walked to the door, walking through without holding it open for Jade. Adam stopped abruptly at Amy's desk, causing Jade to almost run into him.  
"Jade and I will be out of the office for a few hours. I have my Blackberry, so you can reach me if you need to. Hunter will be here, and he knows where Davey's studio is, just in case."  
Amy smiled up at Adam. "All right. I'll see you later."  
Adam nodded, walking towards the front office door. Jade turned around and gave Amy a small smile and waved his goodbyes. She returned the gesture with a smile and short wave of her own. Adam walked to the elevator and pressed the button. The doors opened immediately and Jade followed him inside. The ride to the bottom floor was silent, and Jade felt uncomfortable. He followed Adam to the garage elevators and watched as he pressed the button.  
"Am I riding with you?" Jade asked hesitantly.  
Adam looked over to Jade, wavering briefly before answering his question with one of his own. "Do you know where we're going?"  
"Davey's studio?"  
"And do you know where that is?"  
Jade shook his head, feeling much like an idiot. He was sure this was Adam's intention.  
Adam raised his eyebrows. "Well, then it would probably make more sense for you to come with me than for me to go with you, wouldn't it?"

Jade nodded, and Adam sighed, stepping into the elevator when the doors opened. Again, Jade followed. When they got into the garage, Adam led them to a sleek, black Ford F-150, unlocking the doors with a remote.  
Adam's choice in vehicles surprised Jade. He had expected something flashy and expensive, but this was so normal. And masculine. It suited Adam well, he thought.  
Jade climbed into the passenger seat, feeling his heartbeat begin to race with the mere thought of being in such close quarters with Adam. He didn't know why Adam always made him so nervous, but he chalked it up with the fact that he was so eager to please Adam, and so afraid of saying the wrong thing.  
The engine roared to life and Adam pulled out of the parking spot. Jade listened closely to the soft music playing in the background, recognizing the song as _Dead Man In My Bed_, and smiled to himself.  
"This is my favorite album by them. Not their best, but my favorite." Jade said, finally feeling like he and Adam had something in common other than their jobs.  
"What?" Adam asked curtly, pulling a pair of sunglasses from the center console and slipping them on.  
"Nick Cave and the Badseeds." Jade said. "This song is just so...It's my favorite on the album. This album reminds me of my last year of college. It was the only album I listened to. I don't know why. I guess it's one of those things you think is great because you're so attached to it. Like that last Rancid album. Again, not their best, but it reminds me of a certain period in my life. I guess music has that way. I really love them. Nick Cave and the Badseeds...well, Rancid, too...but I meant Nick Cave. I guess I liked the Birthday Party better, but this album is great. Don't you think?"  
Adam turned to Jade and shrugged.  
Jade mentally reprimanded himself for letting himself ramble. "Well, I do, anyway."  
The rest of the drive was silent, and Jade felt as though he was invisible, which is usually how he felt when Adam was around. They made it to the studio within their twenty minute time frame, and Jade was grateful when Adam pulled into an empty parking space in front of what looked like a small warehouse.  
Jade scurried out of the truck, shutting the door gently. Adam was at his side within seconds, leading the way. He pulled the door open and walked through, again, not holding it open for Jade. Jade managed to slide in before the door shut in front of him.  
Jade looked around, and as far as the eye could see, there was clothing. Most of it was on rolling racks, but the rest was in boxes on the floor. There was an area that looked like a small changing room to one side, mannequins scattered in various places, sewing machines and large tables everywhere else. In the center of the room, leading back to the back wall was what looked like a smaller version of a runway.  
Jade was busy taking everything in when he heard a screech from the back of the warehouse.  
"You're here!" Davey cried, scampering down the makeshift runway and hopping off the end. He threw himself into Adam's arms and kissed him on the cheek quickly. He then turned to Jade and gave him the same treatment. "So how are the two most handsome men in Hollywood on this fine afternoon?"  
Jade looked to Adam before answering. "I'm doing well, and you?"

"Amazing!" Davey said, turning to Adam and giving him an exaggerated wink. Adam seemed not to notice. "Okay, Adam says that you two can only give me a teeny, tiny, super small chunk of your time, so I'll make this quick. Follow me."  
Davey led the pair over to where the dressing area was. "Adam's size I'm familiar with, but Jade, I just kind of had to guess. I doubt you're a thirty-four big and tall like our Adam here. I kind of figured you to be a thirty or twenty-nine. Am I right?"  
Jade looked surprised. "Yes, actually."  
Davey smiled. "Don't look so shocked, honey. That's why I do what I do."  
Davey pulled out black suits, handing one to Jade and the other to Adam. "Go trot around there and put these on."  
"Is there only one room?" Jade asked uneasily.  
"Don't be modest, darling." Davey said, shoving Jade along after Adam.  
Jade walked behind the curtain and turned his back to Adam, dropping his coat onto the floor. He quickly pulled his shirt over his head and dropped that onto the floor as well. He felt eyes on him, but didn't want to turn around to see if Adam was looking, and he assumed that Adam wouldn't be. He didn't want to turn around to see Adam standing there in his underwear and make things even more uncomfortable between them.  
He pulled his pants off and left them in a ball on the floor. He pulled the dress pants on quickly, and then reached for the blue button up shirt. He slid it on, the material feeling so good against his skin. It was a far cry from the American Apparel shirt that lay balled up on the floor that he had arrived in.  
He shrugged the jacket on, and smiled at the way it fit him.  
The curtain flew open and Davey entered, not caring if they were fully dressed or not.  
"Why hello, Mr. Puget. Could you be any more adorable in that?" Davey asked, leaning forward and pulling at the jacket sleeves. "I don't like blue for you, though, and we'll have to take the sleeves up about a foot."  
Jade shrugged his shoulders, balling the excessive material of the suit jacket in his hands.  
"And Adam, blue works for you, but I don't like the fit of the suit for your body type. Next!" Davey cried, running out of the changing room and returning moments later with a different suit.  
The pair changed into those, Jade doing his best to ignore the fact that Adam was in the room with him as he was disrobing and redressing. Davey had them change into and out of fifteen different suits, mixing and matching the different shirts and accessories. He finally decided on suit number twelve with shirt number five, tie number seven, and shoe style number three in color number two.  
"We've been out of the office for nearly two hours, Dave. I hope this is all you have for us." Adam complained moodily.  
Davey poked his lower lip out. "This is the most time you've spent with me in the past month, Adam, and you're complaining?"  
Adam kept quiet in favor of not getting into an argument with Davey. Jade shifted uneasily, wanting to get out of his outfit, but not wanting to do so with Davey and Adam bickering behind him. When he got no response from Adam, Davey left the dressing room, leaving them alone again.  
Jade pulled his clothes off, getting everything on except for his shirt, which he couldn't find. He picked up the shirt that was at his feet, and held it up. By the time he realized it was Adam's, he had already turned around to question about it. When he looked up, Adam was holding his shirt out to him, standing there shirtless.  
Jade's mouth went dry at the sight of Adam's strong chest, his defined pecs, and his superbly flat stomach. His jeans sat low on his hips, and his stomach muscles tightened and relaxed with every breath.  
Jade smiled weakly. "I'm sorry. They must've gotten mixed up with everything."  
Adam shrugged, reaching his free hand out. Jade's eyes traveled the length of Adam's left arm, seeing that the upper half was covered in tattoos. He glanced to Adam's right arm, and saw that it, too, had a few tattoos on it. Adam followed Jade's eyes and looked at his own arms, before he looked over at Jade. His eyes flitted over Jade's uncovered upper torso, taking in that he, too, had a tattoo or twelve.  
"My shirt?"  
Jade shook his head, trying to shake out the thoughts he was having. "Oh, yeah. Sorry. I'm sorry."  
Jade handed Adam's shirt to him, and took his own, pulling it over his head. Adam did the same, picked his jacket up off the floor, and walked in front of Jade. He reached his hand out and smoothed out Jade's hair where it had been ruffled by the shirt. He then pushed past him and out of the dressing room. Jade, thoroughly confused by Adam's small gesture, picked up his own jacket, pulled it on, and made his way out.  
They said their goodbyes to Davey, who tried – unsuccessfully – to convince Adam to meet him for dinner, and made their way back to Adam's truck. When they were no more than five minutes from the office, Adam turned to Jade.  
"I like the Birthday Party better than his solo stuff, too."  
Jade thought it best not to even say a word.  
That Saturday night, Jade was nothing but a ball of nervous energy. He had gotten there early to ensure that everything was in order. He glanced at his watch, and then looked around the ballroom again. Adam was nowhere in sight, and while this should have comforted him, this made him even edgier. What if something went _really_ wrong? Adam may not have been the most helpful person, but there was no way he was going to let Jade fail miserably in front of a few hundred people.  
"Jade!" Marcus, the party planner, called from across the room. "Mr. Reznor is here and is planning on taking the stage within the next hour. Davey will be here shortly, and when he gets here, we'll let everyone in."  
"Great." Jade said, looking at his watch again. "What does the line outside look like?"

Marcus smiled gleefully. "It wraps down Hollywood Boulevard and down Orange."  
Jade smiled as well. Minutes later, Davey entered the hall looking fantastically pleased. He walked up and kissed Jade on the cheek. "Jade, my dear, you're a miracle worker."  
Jade smiled bashfully. "Thank you, Davey. It means a lot that you think that."  
Davey smiled knowingly. "Don't worry. He'll be here. He likes to make an entrance. Shall we?"  
Davey lifted his elbow and Jade slid his arm through, leading them to the front doors of the Hotel. The bouncer at the door greeted them with a nod, and the guests at the front of the line clapped and hollered jovially. The press was waiting outside, as well as in a separate waiting area that looked on over a makeshift red carpet. Camera flashes blinded Jade as the bouncer started checking off names on a guest list. Davey greeted the guests warmly, releasing Jade to wander after a string of models that just came in.  
Jade walked back inside, looking over everything.  
"Mr. Puget, Miss Gemma Ward is outside. She's not on the list but swears she was invited." A security guard informed.  
Jade furrowed his eyebrows. "I don't know if we should. The guest list has us at capacity and I don't know if we should take the chance."  
Jade felt someone leaning over his shoulder and heard a low, deep voice at his ear. "Always take the chance. If we don't let her in, it could mean trouble. It's worth the risk if it will keep her happy. You're going to walk outside, apologize for the mixup and lead her in yourself."  
Jade looked over his shoulder to find Adam standing there. He looked absolutely stunning in his matching suit, burgundy shirt and black tie. Jade smiled, relieved that Adam would be at his side to guide him through the night. He nodded and left to find Miss Ward. He walked outside, gently grabbed her by the elbow, and did just as Adam said. When he walked her inside, she wrapped her arm around his waist, and had him pose with her for several pictures. When Jade stepped off the carpet, he ran straight into Adam again.  
Adam was holding a glass of amber liquid, sipping it slowly. "You know those pictures are going to be in every tabloid."  
Jade furrowed his eyebrows. "But I just walked her in."  
"Congratulations, Jade. Because of that, you're Gemma Ward's new boyfriend." Adam said flatly. It was hard to tell what the intention of that comment was, but his eyes glittered just a bit.  
Jade rolled his eyes. "Man. I should have walked in with Brian Atwood. I'd rather be his new boyfriend."  
Jade was startled when Adam laughed softly, giving Jade a genuine, dazzling smile. "That could be arranged, but you'd have to check with Hunter. He usually handles his business."  
Jade smiled, his heart swelling with joy at Adam's response. Not his words, but the fact that he actually laughed at his joke. He didn't reply, as he had learned that when Adam rewards him with a decent response, it's best to just enjoy it and not ruin it with words.  
The hours flew by, and after Nine Inch Nails' performance, Jade, Adam and Davey posed for a few pictures with Trent himself. When Trent left, several of the magazines asked for pictures of the three of them. There is nothing a fashion magazine loves more than pictures of beautiful men huddled together closely.  
Jade had kept a mental tally of how many drinks Adam had consumed, and if he had one more, he'd be up into the double digits. He turned to Davey, "Maybe someone should stop Adam from drinking so much."  
Davey shook his head, purring softly when Adam wrapped his arms around his waist and kissed him on the neck. "Why would I want to do that?"  
Jade started to answer, but was cut off by Adam's words to Davey.  
"I'm tired. Do you want to take me home?"  
Davey nodded, letting himself be led away. He turned and called to Jade over his shoulder. "He only gives me his undivided attention when he's drunk."  
The sadness in Davey's eyes made Jade's heart ache for him. He promised that he would stay with the party until the end, and watched on as Adam pulled Davey away.  
They made their way out of the hotel and down the block where Davey's town car was waiting. The driver opened the door, letting Davey and Adam slide into the backseat. Davey called to the driver from the other side of the partition. "78635 Mulholland Drive."  
"Yes, sir." The driver said, putting the car in gear.  
Adam's hand slid up Davey's thigh as he kissed his neck. The slow make out session was heating up quickly, and Davey felt like the drive to his house had never taken so long. When the driver pulled the car to a stop in front of Davey's stylish, Hollywood Hills home, Adam relented momentarily. He opened the door himself, and stepped out, waiting for Davey to follow. The pair stumbled up the driveway, and Davey unlocked the door and disarmed the alarm system. When he turned around, Adam was looking at him with bleary, red-rimmed eyes. Davey nodded in the direction of his bedroom and Adam followed, already knowing the way. When they got inside, Adam grabbed Davey by the hips and shoved him down onto the bed.  
Adam crawled onto the large bed, placing one knee on either side of Davey's hips. He reached down and pulled Davey's shirt over his head, dropping it onto the floor. Being the sober one of the pair, Davey took it upon himself to unbutton the burgundy shirt Adam was wearing, and loosen his tie. He pushed Adam's shirt and jacket onto the floor, and Adam pulled the tie over his head, letting it land on the pile.  
Davey kicked off his shoes, letting them land wherever, and unbuttoned Adam's pants. Adam rolled off Davey so he could slide them off, pulling his boxers off and sending his shoes onto the floor. He watched impatiently as Davey shimmied out of his black jeans, pushing them to the end of the bed.  
Adam's lips found Davey's chest, and he kissed up it until he found his neck again. Davey puckered his lips, thinking that Adam was going to kiss him, but instead, Adam reached over him, grabbing a condom and some lube from the shelf on the headboard.  
Davey reached his hands up and threaded them through Adam's hair, trying to pull him down for a kiss, but Adam moved his head to the side, kissing Davey softly on the cheek. Davey sighed sadly, not that Adam noticed. Adam nudged Davey's hip with his knee, and Davey dutifully rolled over, getting on his hands and knees.  
Adam sat back, tearing open the condom and rolling it on over his erection. He took the lube and squirted some into his hand, sliding it over his cock. He got up on his knees and grabbed Davey's hips, positioning himself at Davey's hole. Davey braced himself by grabbing the bed sheets and waited.  
Adam slid in easily, groaning at how good it felt to finally get his cock inside something warm and tight. Davey moaned out as Adam's cock pushed against his prostate. Adam thrust hard, pistoning in and out of Davey's small body. He thought he vaguely heard Davey's screaming his name, but he wasn't focused on that.  
Clear as day, he somehow heard Davey mention that he was close, and he reached around, grabbing Davey's cock and tugging on it. Davey whimpered pathetically, calling out Adam's name as he came all over his seven thousand dollar sheets. Adam let go of Davey's cock, wiping his hand on the pillow next to him. He continued his thrusts for only a minute more, finally coming hard.  
He collapsed on top of Davey, brushing his lips against the back of Davey's neck. Davey turned his head to catch Adam's lips, but by that time, Adam had already pulled out and rolled off of Davey. Adam stood and walked on shaky legs to the bathroom where he disposed of the condom.  
When he walked back into the bedroom, Davey was lying under the covers looking sated. Adam leaned down and picked up his boxers and pants, sliding them both on. He sat on the end of the bed, and began tying up his shoes.  
"Are you going already?"  
"Yeah." Was Adam's simple reply.  
"Why don't you stay?"  
Adam shook his head, signaling the end of the conversation. He patted down his pockets, making sure he had his Blackberry and his wallet. He reached over and put on his shirt, only buttoning it part of the way. He picked up his jacket and turned to face Davey.  
"Do you want me to drive you home?" Davey asked in a monotone.  
"No, I'll just call a cab." Adam said, fishing out his Blackberry and doing just that. When he was fully dressed again, his tie stuffed in his back pocket, he leaned over Davey and kissed him chastely on the lips. This satisfied Davey, if only a little bit. "I'll call you later."  
"Uh huh." Davey wouldn't be holding his breath.  
Adam made his way outside, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out a pack of Marlboros. By the time he finished his cigarette, the taxi was pulling into the driveway. He got into the back seat and gave the driver his address. When the car was well on its way, he picked up his phone and searched through the contacts. It was half past two in the morning, but he knew the person he was calling would still be awake.  
"Hello?" Came the tentative voice on the other end.  
"How did it go after we left?"  
"Fine, actually." Jade said sleepily.  
"Did I wake you?" Adam asked, not really concerned.  
"No. I was just getting ready to go to sleep."  
"Oh, okay, good. Did you get to go home with Brian Atwood?"  
"No, I didn't even get to see him, but I know he was there. Gemma Ward is ready to marry me, though." Jade said, surprised at Adam's lust for conversation at the moment. "Do me a favor, and tell Davey that I'll get in touch with him on Monday about doing that interview with Vogue."  
"Um, I'm not around him, anymore. I'm on my way home right now."  
Jade's pregnant pause was obvious to both of them. "Okay. I can call him on Monday, then."  
"Yeah."  
The pair fell silent, and Adam, who was still partially affected by the good ole liquid courage, finally managed to say what he had called to say. "Hey, Jade?"

"Yeah?"  
"Uh, good job. Tonight. And with, you know, everything else. You're doing a great job."  
Jade smiled into the phone, and he was sure Adam would be able to hear it in his voice. "Thank you. So much."  
"I, uh, really mean that." Adam paused briefly. "So, I'll see you on Monday."  
"I'll see you then."  
Jade thought Adam was about to say something else, but he just hung up the phone instead. When the line went dead, Jade dropped his Blackberry onto his pillow next to him. It had taken nearly three weeks, but Jade was finally beginning to feel like he had a place in Adam's world.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter Three: The Greatest Actor Alive**__  
You know I can't seem to breathe when you're here._

Jade walked into the office on Monday morning to find a basket of flowers on his desk. He looked at them curiously, and then picked up the note. His spirits dropped just a little bit when he read the card:  
_Thank you for everything.  
Marcus Brody, Event Coordinator_  
Jade had never gotten flowers before, so this was a nice little surprise, even if it was just from the Party Planner. He set them on the edge of his desk, and walked around it, sliding into his chair and turning on his computer. He had gotten through about five emails when Adam walked in.  
"I thought you said you didn't meet Brian Atwood. And he's already sending you flowers?" Adam commented on his way through, not caring enough to wait for a response.  
Jade smiled at Adam's retreating back, and continued to read through his emails. The one that made him the saddest was the all company email from Hunter, saying that he would be out of the office for the next two and a half weeks, and would only be able to be reached on his Blackberry, which would be superglued to his hand. Jade frowned. Without Hunter, all he had left were Amy and Ashley, who, combined, were about one tenth as awesome as Hunter was. That, and he wouldn't have anyone to have lunch with.  
And then there was Adam. Who hardly counted.  
Jade busied himself for a few days by working really hard, but Hunter was pretty much his only real friend in LA, and it was hard not having him around. They communicated through email, but it wasn't the same, and by Thursday afternoon, it was starting to show.  
Adam walked into Jade's office, dropping a stack of papers onto his desk.  
"The top portion needs to be filed, the middle portion needs to be sent out, and the bottom portion needs to be filled out, signed, and either filed or sent out." Adam declared.  
"Okay." Jade said, without so much as a glance in Adam's direction.

He heard Adam sigh, and when he looked up, Adam was looking right back at him.  
"What's wrong with you?" Adam asked, placing his hand on his hip impatiently.  
Jade shrugged, using Adam's usual answer against him.  
"I don't have time to dawdle, Jade. Either speak up, or quit your moping. Your sour attitude is raining on everyone's parade."  
Jade couldn't help the slight sneer that curled his lips, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. Adam had seen this, and had chosen to ignore it. When Jade didn't respond, he turned around and started heading back into his office.  
"If I tell you, you won't make fun of me?" Jade asked skeptically.  
"I doubt it." Adam answered honestly. "If it's a stupid reason, then as far as I'm concerned, I have every right to make fun of you."  
"I kind of miss Hunter being around. I know it's silly, but I do."  
Adam raised his eyebrows. "Part of the job is traveling. I'm leaving again in a few weeks. I doubt you'll miss me."  
Jade snorted. "You have to admit, you don't make it easy to miss you."  
"True."  
When Adam didn't say anything else, Jade picked up the stack of papers and began leafing through them.  
"Hunter's kind of a likeable guy. That's why I never fired him when I should have. But don't you dare tell him that I like him or he'll never let me hear the end of it." Adam said.  
"Your secret's safe with me, boss."  
Adam sighed again. "Look, if you want to take a long lunch, I'll forgive it. Just this once. Unhappy employees are shitty employees, and I don't want you to turn into a shitty employee just because you're missing your partner in crime."  
Jade shook his head. "Thanks, but I think I'll pass. Hunter is usually my lunch buddy."  
Adam shrugged, dropping the subject and returning to his office. Jade was half-way through his project when he realized that their brief interaction was almost, dare he think it, friendly. He hadn't realized it at the time, but Adam had made an effort – granted, it was gruff and devoid of any sort of finesse – to actually talk to him and treat him like an equal human being.  
A week passed, and the following Tuesday, Jade was busy setting up a meeting with a client when Adam walked into his office. Jade continued his conversation, keenly aware that Adam was moving about the room inspecting things, including the Ficus plant that Jade thought was the tackiest thing in the room. After a few minutes, he planted himself in a chair in front of Jade's desk and waited.  
Jade hung up the phone and looked up at Adam. "What can I do for you, sir?"  
"It's been a week and a half, and you're still moping about this office like your dog just died. Don't you have friends?"  
If at all possible, Jade looked even sadder than before. "Um, not really. No."  
Adam's face fell, also. He had meant it as a joke, but unfortunately it had come out all wrong. Like most of the things he said did. "Oh. How can you not have friends? Everyone has friends. Even I have a friend or two, and the word around the rumor mill is that I'm a less than desirable person to be around occasionally."  
If Adam had been trying to cheer him up, he was doing a very poor job of it. "Did you just come here to make me feel even worse about my life? Because if you did, I don't really need this right now. I have work to do, and my boss is a less than desirable person to be around when his employees aren't getting their work done."  
Adam sat back and looked at Jade. He had been trying to make him feel better. He had been trying to make that permanent frown lighten up for a moment, but it wasn't happening. He was only making it worse.  
Jade glanced up again. "Shouldn't you be doing something else?"  
Adam narrowed his eyes. "I'd watch the way you talk to people. You have a tendency to sound real fucking snotty, and some people don't like to be talked to that way."  
Jade's eyes widened, and he had the apology ready, if he could just manage to get his mouth and his brain on the same page. Hunter had told him that Adam had one foul temper and if you ever got onto his bad side, he could make you wish you were dead. He knew his comment was out of line, and he knew he had the tendency to sound snotty, but he hadn't meant to offend Adam.  
Upon seeing what his razor sharp words had done to Jade, he immediately wished he hadn't said them. "Look, I'm just trying to be nice to you, and you're making it really hard for me to do that."  
Jade nodded, afraid to open his mouth lest something detrimental fall out.  
"It's just that this whole one on one conversation thing isn't my cup of tea, and I don't have such a great way with words."  
Jade nodded again.  
"I don't do this often, but you look like you kind of need it right now." Adam looked away, ruffling the hair on the back of his head to distract himself. "Do you want to go to lunch with me?"  
Jade's eyes widened significantly. "I, uh..."  
"If you had other plans, that's fine. I know I'm no Hunter, but I can talk and eat and pay just like Hunter can. If you don't want to, I understand. No hard feelings."  
"No, no, I'd love to." Jade said all too eagerly. "It's just that..."  
Adam smiled softly, and Jade's heartbeat came to a dead halt. "Despite popular belief, I do not drink blood. I do need to eat, too, sometimes."  
Jade nodded, his wit starting to return to him. "As long as I'm not the one on the menu, I'd like it very much."  
Adam stood up, walked into his office, picked up his coat and motioned for Jade to follow. Jade grabbed his coat as well, following Adam out of the office and towards the front desk.  
"Jade and I will be out to lunch for the next hour our so. We both have our Blackberries if you need to reach us."  
Amy's face registered shock. She generally saw Adam come in at nine in the morning, and leave at six at night. Unless he was leaving on business, Adam was always at his desk. "Okay."  
Adam and Jade took the elevator down, to the lobby, and then to the parking garage where they got into Adam's truck. The conversation in the car was minimal, but much better than the last time they were in the car together.  
They went to the Madeline Bistro in West Hollywood, which was a nice, sit-down restaurant. Jade was very shocked to find that everything on the menu was completely vegetarian.  
"Are you vegetarian?" Jade asked curiously, peeking up at Adam from over the menu.  
Adam nodded, not feeling like anything more needed to be said about the subject.  
"Oh."  
Adam felt like rolling his eyes when he heard the bit of disappointment at his lack of response. He didn't know whether he wanted to roll his eyes at Jade, or at himself for the tiny bit of guilt he felt every time he realized he was the cause of Jade's disappointment.  
"My ex was vegetarian. He got me started on it like, seven years ago. It's just something I stuck with."  
Jade smiled. He appreciated Adam's effort. "I've been vegetarian since I was in high school. Big Smiths fan. Davey's vegetarian, too, right?"  
"He's vegan."  
"Ah. I guess that makes him hardcore. How is he, by the way?"  
"Fine, I guess. I haven't talked to him since whenever that party was."  
"Oh, but I thought you two were...Never mind. Forget I said anything. It's none of my business."  
"It's fine."  
Jade shook his head. He had a tendency to pry, and it usually got him into trouble. "I'm sorry."  
Adam smiled. Jade seemed to like that, and it got him out of having to talk when he felt like nothing needed to be said. Maybe he'd be better off if he just did that more often.  
The waiter came over, getting their drink orders, and much to Jade's surprise, Adam only ordered water. Based on his drink preference at the party, he had actually expected Adam to order liquor of some kind. When the waiter brought the drinks, he took their food order as well. Jade got the orange chicken and rice, and Adam got the spinach ravioli.  
"I thought there was this whole thing with spinach. It having e-coli or something." Jade mentioned.  
"I like to live dangerously."  
Jade laughed gently, earning another smile from Adam. This one made his knees weak just a little bit. He tried to suppress his growing attraction to Adam, as it was starting to get out of hand, but he found that he couldn't really help himself.  
"What brings you to LA?"  
"You." Jade said before he could actually think his response through. "I mean, your firm. What you've done with it really is impressive."  
Adam nodded. "Is that the only reason?"  
"Pretty much, yeah. That and California weather beats the hell out of Pennsylvania weather any day."  
"It does. How are you liking things so far?"  
"Los Angeles is nice. Dirty, but nice. A little bit scary sometimes, but nice."  
"And the job? Everything you hoped for? Or everything you feared?"  
"Mostly what I hoped for. I mean, the hours aren't bad, and it's never been anything I couldn't handle. It's just that sometimes...I wish it was closer to home, you know?"  
Adam nodded. He did actually feel badly for Jade, a little, bitty, bit. He knew exactly what it was like to live in one place for your entire life, have a bunch of friends and family close by, and then totally uproot and leave everything behind. It was hard, and people like he and Jade didn't get nearly enough credit for being as brave as they are.  
"Make friends." Adam suggested. He gauged Jade's reaction, and realized, again, that he was being too harsh. "Hunter has a ton of them. He could introduce you."  
"I guess so. But he's really it for me. Right now, anyway. Once you get to a certain age, most of the friends you have are going to be through work."  
"You're in the right business for making friends. Everything you do has so much to do with who you know, and more importantly, who knows you."  
"You're lucky, though. Everyone knows you."  
Adam shook his head, looking away from Jade before replying a bit distantly. "They know of me. No one in this place knows me."  
At that moment, Jade knew that his attraction to Adam was too far gone to be suppressed. The ghost of a smile. The small glitter in his eye. The sound of his voice. And the one thing that made Adam the most attractive to him, was that even in a city of millions of people, and so many potential friends walking the streets, Adam was as lonely as Jade was. He had finally gotten a glimpse of one of Adam's vulnerabilities.  
The following Wednesday, Jade had been typing away at a report Adam needed when Hunter came into his office like a hurricane.  
"Look what the cat dragged in!" Hunter cried, posing in front of Jade's desk.  
"Isn't that what I'm supposed to say?" Jade questioned, a smile lighting his features.  
"Does it matter who says it? As long as it's said, right?" Hunter said, smiling broadly. "I missed you, man. How have you been?"  
"Same here." Jade said, turning away from his computer. "I've been well. How are you?"  
"Jet lagged. For sure. Paris is nice this time of year, but it's good to be back. I never thought I'd miss LA. Does anyone _really_ miss this place though?"  
"Apparently you did."  
"How's Tyrannosaurus Adam?"  
"He's not that bad." Jade said softly.  
Hunter nodded, leaning over Jade's desk to see what he was working on. "Lame! Stop working! Talk to me! You haven't seen me in almost three weeks and you want to _work_?"  
"I don't _want_ to work. It's what he pays me for." Jade said, motioning with his head to Adam's office door.  
"Whatever. He can stand to let it go just this once. It's the reunion of the...we need a title. Something that screams 'here comes trouble.'"  
"How about 'here comes trouble?'" Jade suggested.  
Hunter opened his mouth to say something, but turned his attention to Adam's office door, which swung open.  
"How about 'Hunter goes back to his office and stays there?'" Adam said.  
Jade turned in his chair to face his computer, smirking.  
"And wipe that smile off your face, Puget. I'm not a God damn babysitter. I shouldn't have to be doing this. Hunter. Go away." Adam said waving Hunter away with his hand. "And Jade, I need those reports done ten minutes ago, and you're not working if you're running your mouth at Hunter."  
Despite the fact that they were both being chastised, Jade couldn't help his smiling.  
"'Hey, Hunter, how was Paris?' 'Oh, it was great, Adam. Business is booming out there.' 'I'm glad you're back, Hunter.' 'Thanks, Adam. I'm glad to be back.'"  
Jade stifled his laughter at Hunter's mock conversation with Adam. Adam, for his part, just crossed his arms over his chest and looked menacing.  
Hunter turned his back on Adam and walked to the door. He stopped and turned back to Jade. "Noon today, your ass is mine, Jade. We have so much to talk about. And by the way, at this second, you're the only reason I'm glad to be back. Since stupid ole' Adam is ruining the reunion of the 'Here Comes Trouble' Duo."  
Jade nodded. "Adam's just jealous. He's glad you're back but doesn't want to admit it."  
"Yeah, that's it. Bye Hunter." Adam said shortly.  
Hunter left the office, but could be heard loudly telling Amy that Adam should be nicer, that way more people would like him.  
Jade laughed at this, but belatedly realized that Adam was still in the room. He looked up apologetically. "I'll get these finished right away. I'm sorry, it's just that.. "  
Adam shook his head. "It's no big deal, really." He sighed. "Sometimes I think he's more trouble than he's worth. But I'll keep him around. If for no other reason than he keeps you from moping around like a big fucking baby."  
Jade could feel the heat creeping up his cheeks and was glad that Adam had slipped back into his office by the time the last word left his mouth.  
Fifteen minutes into their lunch break, Hunter had finished divulging all of the dirty details of his romp in Paris.  
"So you missed me?" Hunter asked, batting his eyelashes.  
Jade slurped up his soup, swallowing before answering. "I did. I made the mistake of telling Adam that, though."  
Hunter shook his head. "No! You're not supposed to let any weakness show around him. If he was an animal, I think he would be a shark. Or something that eats its young. But my point is, you don't drop blood in the water when you're around a shark. It's bad news."  
Jade cocked his head to the side. "He wasn't very empathetic, but he wasn't...to be honest, he was maybe a little bit nicer to me because of it."  
Hunter's eyes widened so far that Jade thought they were going to fall out of his head. "Define 'nicer'. Like, he looked at you when you talked to him? Answered your question with words instead of gestures?"  
Jade nodded. "We had a conversation that didn't consist of only work."  
"You're kidding me."  
"Nope. I found out he's going home for Christmas to see his parents, that he's leaving on Friday night and will be back here Tuesday morning. He's vegetarian because an ex he had dated for almost eight years got him into it. He likes baseball and beer, and hates mushrooms because they feel funny when he bites into them. Same thing when it comes to peas. He got the tattoos he has while he was still in College at the University of San Francisco and he wants to get more, but always forgets to schedule a time to do it. He TiVos every episode of M*A*S*H* that comes on, and he likes to eat ice cream in the middle of the night." Jade announced proudly.  
"I've worked for Adam for how long? And all I already knew about him was that he was vegetarian and liked baseball and beer. I knew he didn't like mushrooms, but not why. I always kind of thought he was allergic to them. I figured maybe, if he pissed me off enough, I would slip a mushroom into his food."  
Jade laughed. "Hunter! What if he had an anaphylactic response or something? It could kill him."

"That's the point." Hunter said jokingly.  
"How many times, would you say, that you and Adam went to lunch?"  
"Business lunches?"  
"No, just regular lunch."  
Hunter closed his eyes, shaking his head. "He's going to ask me soon. I know it. Any day, now."  
Jade laughed. "Never? Really?"  
"For a while there, I was convinced he hated me. Sometimes I think he still does."  
"He likes you."  
"Oh, and he told you this?" Hunter asked skeptically.  
"Yes, actually. He did. He said that I wasn't supposed to tell you because he'd never hear the end of it."  
"Yeah, that sounds like something Adam would say." Hunter paused, giving Jade a sidelong glance. "Did you _really_ go to lunch with him?"  
Jade nodded. "And I will vouch for the fact that he doesn't drink blood."  
Hunter smiled secretively. Opting, for once, for silence as the best method to convey a point.  
"What?"  
Hunter's smile widened and he shook his head.  
"What?" Jade asked. "I know what you're thinking, you asshole. I'm not sleeping with him. I'm not."  
"I didn't say that."  
"You're thinking it."  
"No, I wasn't thinking that. But while we're on the subject, just because you're not sleeping with him now doesn't mean you won't be sleeping with him later."  
Jade pouted, pushing his bowl away and crossing his arms over his chest.  
"You want to, though." Hunter teased. "You want to make out with our boss. Ew."  
"It's not an 'ew' thing. It's not even like that. I just like talking to him, that's all. The way he is with me sometimes is just...really nice. Kind of sweet, almost. He told me he wouldn't fire you because you make me smile."  
"He wants to fire me?"  
"No, he was just kidding." Jade assured.  
"Adam doesn't kid. He doesn't have a sense of humor."  
"He does. That's what I'm trying to tell you. He's different around me, sometimes. He's a decent guy."  
"No. He _can_ be a decent guy. Generally speaking, he isn't." Hunter said. "Look, it's fine to have the hots for him or whatever, but I wouldn't get into Adam for too much."  
Hunter's serious tone caught Jade's immediate attention.  
"He's the kind of guy that, well, he uses people. In the past eight months, I've watched him become what he is now. And I'm telling you, he isn't what he used to be. If we were talking about the Adam of a year ago, I would encourage you to pursue him. Hell, I'd even help you do it. But the Adam now?" Hunter shook his head. "He lost something. His soul, maybe? But whatever it is, he's a changed person. He doesn't care about anyone but himself, anymore, and I doubt that will ever change. Eight months ago, when he and Jared broke up, he became Stalin. He was the poster child for fascism. A tyrant leader of mass proportions. I wanted to quit so badly that I laid awake at night thinking about it. He was the most despicable person in the entire world to be around, and you've been lucky enough not to have to see it."  
Jade felt his heart sink into his stomach as he listened to Hunter speak. Hunter had nothing to gain from telling Jade all of this, so he knew it had to be the undisputed truth.  
"He's been a lot easier to be around in the past two months that you've been here, I'll give you that. But whatever his problem is, it's in his bones by now. It's so deep, that I just don't think he's going to change over night. You have to remember that you're not Jesus Christ. Don't think 'oh, I can save him,' because chances are, you can't. My mom always told me that it's so much easier to pull someone down than it is to pull someone up. I just don't want to see you swimming in the muck with Adam someday."  
Jade nodded. Up until now, Hunter only touched on his brief conflict with Adam. He never actually told Jade how bad it had been. And had the potential to be. He would just need to remember Hunter's words whenever Adam smiled at him.  
Adam was a wolf in sheep's clothing, and Jade would say this to himself every time he thought of him until he believed it with every fiber of his being.  
Friday afternoon, at three o'clock exactly, Adam walked into Jade's office. His coat was hanging in the crook of his arm, and he was on his cell phone. He stopped in front of Jade's desk, setting two things down on the chair, and then his coat down on the back of it.  
"Three hours." He heard Adam say. He wasn't trying to eaves drop, but it's hard not to listen in on someone's conversation when they are the only one talking. "Oakland. Yes, I love you, too. Bye."  
Adam ended the call, slipping his phone into the pocket of his jeans. The black jeans he was wearing left little to the imagination, and his black button up shirt was rolled up to his elbows. The outfit was tied together by a pair of over-loved Chuck Taylors, that gave his designer look boyish charm. Jade was trying so hard not to pay attention, but it was all for naught.  
_Fuck being a wolf in sheep's clothing, he's a wolf in Yves Saint Laurent._ Jade thought, still not looking up at Adam.  
"Hey." Adam said softly, getting Jade's attention.  
Jade looked up expectantly.  
"I'm leaving for the day. I have to be at the Burbank Airport in an hour."  
"That's fine. Is there anything you want me to do for you?"  
Adam shook his head. "Thanks, though. You can go ahead and take off, if you want. When you're finished with that, of course. You can tell Hunter that he's free to go, too. Though if he sees me leave, he won't be wasting any time doing the same."  
"Okay. Have a safe trip, then."  
"Thanks, I will." Adam said. He didn't move an inch, and something about him seemed off. Like he was nervous about something.  
"Are you okay?" Jade asked, becoming genuinely concerned.  
"Yes. I, there's this, I, uh." Adam stopped and reached down to pick up what he set on the chair under his jacket. One was a wrapped box that looked familiarly like a DVD, and the other was a white envelope. He handed both items to Jade. "Here. Have those."  
Jade hadn't even thought to get Adam anything. But then again, he wasn't the asshole in their partnership and often had very few reasons to say 'Thank You'. Jade was about to open the envelope when Adam stopped him.  
"Oh, that's just the standard holiday bonus. The other thing is something little I thought you might like."  
Jade tore open the wrapping paper and looked at the DVD, smiling brightly. It was something he knew had been rumored to be in existence, but he wasn't sure until now that it was true.  
"Nick Cave, live in Melbourne 2004." Jade said out loud.  
"It's just that he performs _Dead Man In My Bead_ live on that one, and he tells the audience that it's the first and last time he'll ever do it, because it's his hometown. And you said you really liked that song because it reminded you of home. And since it's the holidays and you're here instead of home, and I don't want you to be homesick anymore, I thought maybe you'd like it." Adam rambled. He was never any good at getting gifts, which is why he did the holiday bonus. However, something possessed him to get something additional for Jade and he hoped he'd made the right choice.  
"I do like it. Very much. Thank you." Jade said earnestly.  
Adam picked up his coat and put it on, giving a short wave and smile to Jade as he left. As soon as Adam was out of the office, Jade hit the save button on what he had been working on and made his way into Hunter's office. Much to his surprise, Hunter was still there, and still working.  
"Is he gone yet?" Hunter asked.  
"Yes." Jade said, clutching the envelope and DVD in his hands. "Do you have a minute?"  
"For you? Always." Hunter said, giving Jade his full attention.  
Jade set the DVD down on Hunter's desk.  
"I thought this was an Urban Legend." Hunter said, truly shocked. "Where did this come from?"  
"It was Adam's Christmas present to me."  
Hunter's head snapped up. "Dear God, I hope, for your sake, it wasn't in place of the ever generous holiday bonus."  
"In addition to." Jade clarified, holding up the white envelope. While Hunter was looking at the track listing on the DVD, Jade opened the envelope, pulling out the check. An even three thousand dollars was the total amount after taxes, and Jade had to sit down. "Holy shit."  
Hunter chuckled. "I told you it was generous. And there's the rest of the down payment for your car. Why do you think I told you to wait?"  
Hunter looked at the DVD a little longer before looking up at Jade again. "Why did he give this to you?"  
"He remembered me saying that one of the songs reminded me of being at home, and he got it for me so that I wouldn't feel homesick."  
"His words exactly?"  
"Pretty much, yeah."  
Hunter slid the DVD across the desk back to Jade. He looked thoughtful for a moment before giving his final judgment.  
"Maybe he _can_ change."


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Four: Eating A Book**__  
I've just got to watch you explode._

The Christmas Holiday was uneventful for Jade. He sat in his apartment, in his pajamas and ate cupcakes while watching _A Christmas Story_ for the nine hundredth time. He exchanged a few emails with Hunter, and called his family.

His mother cried a little bit, and his father told him he was proud. It did little to make him feel much better, but to be quite honest, he wasn't feeling _too_ homesick anymore. It was kind of a dull ache, now, where it used to be more of a throbbing. He was just getting used to it, and eventually, he would be so used to it that it would almost seem like it wasn't there.  
He had watched the DVD Adam gave him, and instead of reminding him of home, it reminded him of that awkward car ride with Adam.  
_Wolf in sheep's clothing._  
Eight-thirty in the morning, the day after Christmas, Jade had expected the Starbucks downstairs from his office to be packed, but alas, it wasn't. There were two people in front of him, and someone had just walked in the door behind him.  
"What can I get started for you?" The barista asked.  
"May I please have a grande latte?"  
The next barista turned to the man behind him and asked the same question.  
"I'm paying for his." The man said, setting a credit card down on the counter. "And I need a venti Americano, with room. Add shot. Make it two shots."  
Jade smiled, slipping his wallet back into his pocket. "Thanks, Adam."  
"Uh huh." Adam said, slipping his receipt into his back pocket.  
"How was your Christmas?" Jade asked as they walked over to the pick-up bar.  
"Fine." Adam answered yawning.  
"Mine was awesome, thanks for asking." Jade said a bit harshly.  
Adam looked over at him and smiled softly. "You can't talk to me before I've had my cup of coffee."  
Adam's tone was gentle, and honestly apologetic. This made Jade's heart flutter just a bit. "Sorry."  
"It's okay."  
Jade enjoyed Adam's mere company as they made their way down the block and up into the office. Jade sat as his desk, turning on his computer and starting to respond to emails. Almost a half hour later, Adam came out of his office.  
"Hey, Jade. How was your Christmas?"  
Jade smiled widely. "It was awesome, thanks for asking."  
Adam laughed softly. "It's the coffee. I think everyone knew it but you. At any rate, you need to call people for me. I'll email the names to you because they're on my desktop, but the New Year's Eve bash is going to be spectacular and everyone from this office needs to be there."  
Jade nodded. "Of course. I'll get right on it. Is this the one that's at the Standard on Sunset?"  
"That would be the one. It's mostly people from the fashion world. It's all so they can get together and talk about how next year is going to be the year for blah blah and how yadda yadda is on it's way out. You get what I mean."  
"Are there ever all out designer brawls?"  
"I hope for it every year, and every year I leave disappointed." Adam said with a shake of his head. "When you're finished with that, I have about two hundred other things I need you to do."  
Jade worked diligently for several hours until Hunter barged into his office demanding to go to lunch. When he got back from it, nearly fifteen minutes late, Adam didn't say a word about it. Jade wasn't sure if he really didn't notice, or was just letting it slide. He continued working on his various projects until Adam came in and interrupted.  
"Have you decided which designer to represent?" Adam asked, looking over Jade's shoulder.  
"Huh?"  
"Which designer are you representing?"  
"I don't think I understand what you're asking." Jade said slowly, giving Adam his full attention.  
Adam's need for an answer was evident, but he still spoke calmly and evenly. Much to Jade's surprise. "Each of us should represent a different designer. That way, say, Christian Dior can't say we gave Versace better space on the carpet or whatever because we're all wearing Versace suits. Again, which designer will you be _wearing_?"  
Jade nodded in understanding. "I don't know. Who are you representing?"  
"Dolce and Gabbana, obviously." Adam said quickly. "To Davey, wearing a different designer would be equivalent to showing up to the party with a different designer on my arm."  
"I see. I don't know. They're suits. They all look the same to me."  
When Jade blinked , Adam noticed that his long eyelashes grazed the tops of his cheeks. This ignited something close to affection inside Adam, and Adam knew this could only mean trouble. With affection comes closeness, after which disaster is never too far behind. Affection. Closeness. Disaster. Those were three things that Adam didn't need. He didn't need Jade to be his friend, he had his own. He straightened himself and strengthened his resolve. If he had to be mean, then so be it.  
"Well, they're not all the same. Just pick a designer and a suit and let me know by tomorrow morning." Adam said exasperatedly. "I don't see why things that are so small require so much thought on your part. It's not a science."  
Jade almost flinched. He had rarely been the direct recipient of Adam's sharp tongue, but he suddenly felt a stab to both his ego and his heart. "I will."  
"Good." Adam said turning on his heel and going back into his office.  
Perhaps Adam was bipolar, or prone to violent mood swings. As far as Jade was concerned, that little jab at him was totally uncalled for, and just seconds prior he was being so nice.  
Jade went home that night and searched for suits that he liked. He made it a point to shop by things he knew looked decent on him, and not by designer. When he finally found one he actually liked, it was nearly two in the morning.  
The next day, Jade sat at his desk feeling thoroughly exhausted. He usually made a concerted effort to get plenty of sleep, but last night just wasn't one of those nights. Near four in the afternoon, he figured that Adam wasn't going to come into his office to get information from him, so he went to see Adam.  
"I've picked a suit, I guess." Jade said tiredly.  
"I was beginning to wonder about that." Adam said, writing a short list of things down on a sheet of paper. He seemed to have no interest in Jade whatsoever, so Jade, being as tired as he was, decided to make it quick.  
"Burberry. Black tuxedo. Black shirt, off-white pinstripes. White tie. Black shoes. Is that to your liking?"  
Adam shook his head. "Why would I care what you wear? Makes no difference to me."  
"You wanted to know."  
"Just so I can make sure that no one else is wearing the same designer. I doubt many people will be wanting to wear Burberry. Let alone people in this office."  
"Is there a problem with Burberry?" Jade asked cattily.  
"Nope. Just classic. That's all. Some people like classic, and some don't."  
Jade thought it best not to argue. He liked his choice in suits and he didn't care what Adam thought. He was too tired to care.  
"On a side note," Adam began. "It's none of my business what you do outside of this office, but don't let it have an effect on your performance. You look like hell, I'm sure you feel like hell, which makes your work shit."  
"Thanks for the advice." Jade said turning around and leaving Adam's office.  
That night, as Jade was drifting off to sleep, his mind began to wander, as it often does when you don't want it to. Adam was a mystery, one he wanted desperately to figure out, but he knew that would be nearly impossible. The last thought that drifted through his head was a question of how long it would take to put all of Adam's pieces together. Even if he was given all of the pieces, he doubted he would ever be able to make them fit.  
On that Sunday night, Jade got a Blackberry message from Adam telling him that a car would be at his apartment at eight on the nose and if he wasn't ready, then the car would leave without him. At seven fifty-eight, Jade was ready to go, save for the cufflinks for his shirt that were battling him to the death. He grabbed his coat and ran downstairs just as the car was pulling up. The driver opened the door for him, and he slid into the back seat.  
The drive to the hotel was short, and Jade was surprised that the streets weren't as busy as he had expected them to be. When he arrived, he was taken through a back entrance and led into the hall.  
"Hey!" Hunter cried, leaving Adam's side to greet Jade. "You look great."  
"Thanks." Jade mumbled, still fussing with the cufflinks. This went unnoticed by everyone but Adam.  
"Were you getting dressed in the car?" Adam asked, raising an eyebrow.  
"No. I can't get these stupid cufflinks to work." Jade said a bit bashfully.  
Adam hesitated for a moment before extending an open hand. "Give them to me."  
Jade placed the two ebony and silver cufflinks in Adam's hand and waited. His brain was about a step behind Adam, and didn't understand what Adam wanted with them. Adam grabbed Jade's right arm, and then turned it palm down.  
"There's a trick to it." Adam said quietly. He held Jade's wrist with a great gentleness which surprised Hunter, who was doing his best not to stare at the exchange. He had never, in all the time he had known Adam, seen him treat another person with such a display of tenderness. He was holding Jade's arm as though it was made of glass, and Hunter could now see that while Adam's words to Jade were no different , his actions were a world away.  
Adam turned Jade's hand towards the floor, and slipped the piece of metal through the hole, snapping the other side into place. He did the same for Jade's left arm, and held it for just a second longer before releasing it.

Jade's eyes held nothing but gratitude, and when he met Adam's eyes, he felt short of breath. There was something there, something he couldn't name, but he knew it was different. It was something that wasn't present when he looked at Hunter, or Ashley, or even Davey. However, when Adam blinked, it was gone, and all he was met with was his normal, icy gaze.  
Jade shrugged it off, filing it under wishful thinking. "Thanks."  
"Sure thing. I don't want my assistant looking like a slob." Adam said gruffly.  
"Of course you don't." Jade said, taking his place at Hunter's side.  
Hunter, who had watched the exchange, would, if it was anyone else but Adam, be making fun of Jade. He stood at Jade's side, and having seen the glance that the pair shared, said nothing. Jade wasn't sure what Hunter had seen, but at the risk of sounding like a prepubescent girl, he didn't bring it up.

Their shared silence was awkward, something it had never been since the day they met. They knew what each other was thinking, but were pretending the other didn't know.  
Adam led them in a walk through, making sure everything was up to the highest of high standards. The guests started to arrive just after nine, and each member of the firm was stolen away by respective clients. Jade was sipping a bit of apple cider when he saw two tattooed arms wind around his waist, giving him a hug from behind.  
Jade smiled when Davey kissed his cheek.  
"I would be mildly offended by the fact that you're wearing Burberry instead of Dolce and Gabbana, if you didn't look so God damned hot in that tux, my dear." Davey whispered into Jade's ear.  
Jade turned around to see that Davey was a vision in white, his deep purple makeup highlighting his features. "You look lovely, as well, Davey."  
"Why, thank you."  
Davey slid his arm through Jade's leading him around the party. "You're the talk of the party, Mr. Mysterious."  
"Am I? Really?" Jade asked, perplexed.  
"For those here who didn't make my party, this is your debut. Everyone saw the pictures of you and the tall blond model, so you're a hot commodity. Anything you say to these people, they're going to eat right up." Davey said. "You're the new 'it' boy because no one really knows who you are, yet."  
Jade looked at Davey with wide eyes. "How is that?"  
"Hollywood loves new faces, and you're the newest face here."  
"Is that why you're on my arm tonight, then?" Jade asked.  
This would have offended anyone who was less shallow than Davey. "No. I'm on your arm because Adam hasn't had nearly enough drinks to want my company just yet."  
Jade nodded, patting the back of Davey's hand comfortingly. "Well, when Adam gets drunk enough, we'll switch it out. For now, you can be the guy who has Mr. Mysterious on his arm."  
Davey leaned in and kissed Jade on the cheek, just before a camera flash went off. Davey leaned close to Jade's ear. "The more people you're seen with, the better."  
Davey and Jade posed for many, many pictures. As the clock signaled one minute to midnight, the party quieted down and all eyes turned to the screen above the DJ booth. Neither Davey nor Jade had seen Adam much all night, and he had been notoriously missing in action for the past hour. Though Davey and Jade didn't drink, they had cruised by the bar on more than one occasion to see if Adam might be there. Which he wasn't.  
The crowd loudly counted down the last ten seconds of the year, Davey turned to Jade and smiled sadly. Jade knew Davey was wishing that he could be sharing that moment with Adam, and Jade was wishing it, too. Whether he wanted Davey to be sharing it with Adam, or he himself to be sharing it with Adam, he couldn't be entirely sure.  
As the clock struck midnight, Davey leaned in and kissed Jade chastely on the lips.  
"Happy New Year." Davey said over the roar of the crowd. "I hope it's fantastic."  
"Same to you." Jade said, hugging Davey.  
The two parted, and Davey dragged a very self conscious Jade out onto the dance floor to share in the glory that is Prince's _1999 Altima_. Jade started giggling happily when Hunter joined them, dancing with Davey in ways that no straight man should.  
After plenty of dance floor romping, Jade slunk off the floor to catch his breath and go get something to drink. As he sipped on his water, he noticed that the crowd was thinning and he could certainly imagine why. Adam had been gracious enough to, because they had this party to attend, give all of the offices New Year's Day off. Jade would certainly be sleeping in late.  
Jade made it a point to mingle with people and introduce himself to other clients. Close to two in the morning, Jade had decided to call it a night.  
He made his way over to Davey, who was engaged in a conversation with Adam.  
"Are you sure, absolutely _sure_ you want a driver to take you home? You can just come home with me. Wouldn't that be better?" Davey asked sweetly, gently running his hands down Adam's back.  
"Yes, I'm sure. You can just go home by yourself. I'll call you later." Adam said. It was clear he had enjoyed one too many sparkling cocktails, but why he wasn't going home with Davey was a mystery to all parties involved.  
"Fine." Davey said resignedly. "I'll see you later."  
Davey turned around to see Jade, and smiled sadly again. Jade returned the smile and gave Davey a hug goodbye. Davey left, sulking out the back door instead of taking the chance and being seen on the red carpet going home alone.  
Jade took one look at Adam's flushed face and turned around, going back to the bar to get him a few bottles of water. He pulled Adam aside and sat him down, opening one of the bottles and handing it to him.  
"Maybe you should have gone home with Davey." Jade suggested quietly. Even though he was drunk, Adam still looked sharp, stunning, and coherent. "At least you wouldn't be by yourself."  
"I'm tired of going home with Davey." Adam said flatly. He finished the bottle of water in several gulps, setting it back down on the table. Jade immediately opened another one and handed that to Adam. "You're too good to me, Jade. I really don't deserve it."  
Jade scoffed. "No, you probably don't. But I'll do it anyway."  
Adam smiled softly. "Go ahead and go home. I'll be fine. You should get some rest."

Jade felt out of control as his hand instinctively reached out and brushed Adam's hair off his forehead. He lowered his hand slowly, and was startled when Adam's hand wrapped around his own.  
"Thank you." Adam said. His eyes were clear and staring right into Jade's. Just then he saw that flicker of what he had seen earlier on in the evening, but it was dulled by liquor and doubt.  
Jade nodded, pulling his hand from Adam's. "You're welcome."  
Adam waved Jade away. "You're tired. Go home."  
Jade stood, walking away from the table. He turned over his shoulder and gave Adam one last glance before heading out. He was stopped in the lobby by a well dressed man who seemed to be waiting for something.  
"It's Jade, right?" The man asked.  
Jade noticed that this man was kind of slimy, and seedy looking, but he smiled all the same. "Yes. Can I help you with something?"  
"Can I ask you a few questions?" The man asked, his beady eyes sparkling.  
"I suppose so." Jade had no idea what this man wanted, but the sooner he gave it to him, the sooner he would be able to leave.  
"Did you enjoy the party tonight?"  
"I did actually." Jade was starting to think that this was a reporter, but he wasn't able to figure out why he would want to talk to him.  
"Who were you here with?"  
"I was by myself."  
"I saw you with Dolce and Gabbana designer Davey Havok. Is there something going on between you two?"  
"Oh, no. Davey and I are just friends."  
"At his winter show party you were seen with runway model Gemma Ward. Are you seeing her? I noticed she wasn't here tonight. From what I understand, she's in Madrid, doing a shoot for Elle. Can you confirm this?"  
"I can't confirm anything. I don't know her well. We only met that once. Sure, we spent a bit of time together that night, but I haven't seen her since."  
"Does this mean that it was a one night thing? Or are you with her now and don't want to admit it?"  
Jade shook his head. He was feeling trapped. "Please don't put words in my mouth."  
"I'm not putting words in your mouth. I'm just making inferences and you're confirming them."  
"But I'm not confirming anything." Jade said a bit helplessly.  
"Is this a 'while the cat's away, the mice will play' situation? Because Gemma is out of town, you're going to be spending time with your other lover? Is that why Davey was so upset tonight? Because you told him that you wouldn't leave Gemma for him? You two were inseparable until the very end of the night."  
Jade laughed uncomfortably. "Where are you coming up with this? I'm not with Miss Ward. I'm not with Davey. I'm not with anyone. In fact, Davey's actually with – "  
"What are you doing?" Came a very angry voice from behind Jade. Both he and the reporter turned around to look at the person who was shouting.  
"Mr. Carson. What a surprise." The reporter said, beginning to back away.  
Jade's relief was palpable. He watched as Adam approached the reporter menacingly. "It's a surprise to see you, too. I thought we had a deal."  
The man looked very uncomfortable. "I - I'm sorry, Mr. Carson, but I didn't know he was with you."  
"Well now you do. You stay away from me, my colleagues, and my events, or I will make your life a living hell. This is your last warning. Do you understand?"  
The man nodded frantically. "Yes, sir."  
"Leave."  
With that one word, the man ran out the door. Jade was so glad that Adam had come to his rescue. He wouldn't have known how else to handle the situation.  
"I can't believe that guy." Jade said with a shake of his head. Jade was about to say something else, but Adam turned around to face him, his eyes held only fire, and at that minute, Jade knew only trouble lay ahead.  
"What did you tell him?" Adam asked slowly.  
"I didn't tell him anything." Jade said softly.  
"Are you sure?"  
Jade nodded. "I swear. I didn't know who he was."  
"You'd better not be lying to me." Adam's voice was low and filled with so much rage that Jade was afraid he would snap, and then snap his neck.  
"I'm not."

Adam closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before opening them again. "Leave now."  
"Look, Adam, I didn't know he was a – "  
"Jade, you need to leave right now. You need to get out of my sight before I say something to you I'll regret later. I need to be sober before we talk about this any further. I need there not to be two hundred people in the next room before we talk about this any further. I need you to go away. I need you to go away right now."  
Jade's shoulders slumped, and he was so disappointed in himself for disappointing Adam. "I'm sorry."  
Adam shook his head, turning his back on Jade and walking back into the other room. Jade watched Adam go, waiting until he was completely out of sight before leaving the hotel and going home. That night, his sleep was restless, and he knew it was all because of Adam.  
New Year's Day was without event. Hunter came over and they watched football and ate cookies. Jade explained the entire situation with Adam to Hunter, and Hunter was actually surprised.  
"That's usually when he fires you!" Hunter cried, not quite believing it.  
"Should I be looking for a new job then?" Jade asked sadly.  
Hunter shook his head. "No. If he was going to fire you, he would have done it right then. If it was me, I would have been fired."  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
Hunter didn't dignify his inquiry with a response. He simply slid down the couch a bit more and pried open another Oreo, licking out the filling before shoving both sides of the cookie in his mouth.  
The next day, Jade showed up to work refreshed, but nervous. Adam was already there by the time he sat down at his desk and he was very much hoping that Adam had forgotten about the entire thing. Though, that was very unlikely.  
The day went on as usual, and when noon rolled around, Hunter clamored into Jade's office demanding that they go for lunch before he died of hunger. Jade made it a point to return on time, and continued about his business as usual. At quarter to five, his phone rang, 'Adam Carson' appearing on the screen.  
"This is Jade."  
"My office. Now."  
Jade hung up the phone with a sigh and a shake of his head. And he had thought he would be let off the hook.  
Jade stepped into Adam's office and stood in front of his desk, hands clasped in front of him.  
"I was hoping we wouldn't have to do this." Adam began. "I was hoping that after a day or so, I would be less furiously livid with you. But I'm not. I'm sober and clearheaded right now, but no less angry. Not even close. I have, however, thought of things to say to you that do not involve calling you a God damned asshole or something to that effect. I'll start with this: What the hell were you thinking?"  
Jade could feel his bones quivering with the amount of restrained anger that was in Adam's tone, so he gave the only answer he could think of. "I'm so sorry."  
Adam looked confused for a moment. "I didn't ask for an apology. I asked what the hell you were thinking."  
"I don't know. He just asked if he could ask me a few questions and I said it was all right. I didn't know that he was...and by then it was too late, and you were already there." Jade stammered.  
"And why would you answer questions for him? Oh, because you saw his press credentials, right?" Adam said patronizingly.  
"He didn't have press credentials."  
"Then you must have known him from where? The Times? The LA Weekly, perhaps?"  
Adam's condescending tone was beginning to grate on Jade's nerves, and he was feeling much less sorry about disappointing Adam.  
"Nope."  
"I don't recall clearing him for an interview with you. Is this something you did on your own? Because you're the head of the company now? Should we be switching desks? Should I be calling _you_ 'sir', since apparently you know what's best for _my_ company?"  
"Look, I said I was sorry. What more do you want from me?" Jade snapped.  
Adam's eyes flared. "I want you to pull your head out of your ass! I've worked for years to build this business with integrity and here you come running your mouth to the first person that asks you questions. Do you know what that does to my credibility? Why didn't you come find me, huh? Why didn't you ask me what you should do? Why the hell did you just take it upon yourself to start talking business to complete strangers?"  
"But I didn't! I didn't say anything!"  
"I watched him get you rattled. I saw what was happening. How can I trust you when I'm not around? I can't be by your side every minute of every fucking day, Jade. I can't hold your hand and walk you through every fucking step of this business. I hired you because I thought that maybe, just maybe, you wouldn't be a huge fucking failure, but you're working your ass off to prove me wrong, right now." Adam shouted. "Where the hell is your common sense?"  
"You don't understand."  
"I don't have to understand. You're lucky as hell that I didn't fire you right then and there, because I could have. I could have fired you and cited that you were a fucking gossip queen. In this business, our job is to let people know what our clients want them to know, and hide what they don't want plastered all over the covers of tabloids. We're the ones who get so and so's stint in rehab buried on page E19 of the LA times. We protect people's privacy and show off what they want the world to see. Any faith that I had in you disappeared when you were chit chatting with tabloid scum. Right now, you look like a huge liability and I don't know how I'm going to sleep at night knowing that you're full of confidential information and have loose lips, ready to blab that information off to someone who asks if he can ask you a few questions."  
"But I would never do that."  
"I don't know that, now. In my eyes, it's like having a teenage girl working for me. Or a child. Do you need me to baby you? Because I don't think I can do that shit."  
At that point, Jade had had enough. "You can't fucking talk to me like this, Adam."  
"And who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do?" Adam challenged, standing so that he was eye to eye with Jade.  
"I'm not Hunter, who has learned to take the shit you throw at him. And I'm certainly not Davey, who is just happy to bask in whatever glow you offer him. You are not the be all end all of my life and you can't talk to me like I'm some incompetent asshole. I know I fucked up, and for that, I'm sorry. But you don't need to rub my nose in it like I'm a dog who just shit all over your white Berber carpeting."  
"Then stop acting like one."  
"People make mistakes, and you can't write someone off at the first sign of weakness. Not everyone can be like you, Adam. Not everyone can be perfect all the time. Some of us need to screw up once in a while. Some of us make mistakes, and it would do you a great justice to realize that." Jade said, his tirade coming to a slow end.  
Adam was silent for quite some time. Since the day he started this business, no one had ever questioned him. No one had ever stood up to him and told him exactly what they thought of him. It took a whole lot of balls to stand up to Adam Carson, and Jade obviously had no problem with that. Whatever faith in Jade Adam had lost on Sunday night, was restored by this one simple act.  
"I don't write people off at the first sign of weakness." Adam said. His temper was quelled, and he was no longer angry with Jade. "The way I treat Hunter and Davey, is – and I mean this respectfully – none of your business. All you need to care about is the way I treat you."  
Jade was shocked that Adam hadn't hit him. Or fired him. Or something equally terrible.  
"I do make mistakes, and I am very much not perfect." Adam admitted, looking Jade in the eye.  
Jade laughed in spite of himself. He couldn't help it really. "I beg to differ. You are, honestly, the most perfect person I know. Except for this whole, 'you can be really, really mean sometimes' thing. Maybe people would think of you a little more like a human being if they saw that you made mistakes."  
Adam shook his head. "Oh, no. I don't make mistakes in business. It's my personal life that I manage to fuck up at every possible turn. Better there than in business, I guess."  
Again, Jade was privy to another one of Adam's vulnerabilities. Another piece of the puzzle that Jade would never put together.  
Jade smiled, offering Adam a bit of comfort in the only way he knew how. "I know what you mean by that. I do it, too. It's the curse of the workaholic. Proof that you can't have your cake and eat it, too."  
Adam nodded, giving Jade's comment a moment to settle. "How do you want me to treat you, Jade?"  
"Like an adult. Like a human being. Like someone worthy of your respect."  
Adam nodded, sitting back down at his desk. "You have a deal."

"And you have my word that I will try as hard as humanly possible not to put your credibility on the line ever again."  
Adam gave a small smile. "Thank you for that."  
Jade returned the smile and turned around, heading for the door.  
"Jade?"  
Jade turned around, facing Adam. "Yeah?"  
"I want you to know that you've always had my respect. If you didn't know that before, you will now." Adam said, looking more than uneasy in his honesty.  
Jade bowed his head respectfully and then made his way out of the office, sitting down at his desk. He opened his email to see that he had one from Hunter. When he opened it, he laughed out loud. All it read was:  
_I can hear Adam screaming at you. The whole office can. Reply to this if you're still alive._  
He smiled as he typed out his response.  
_I'm alive. Adam's alive. And we're all right with each other, for once._


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter Six: The Walls Have Teeth**__  
When he dreams he dreams of a flawless escape._

"Do you have a passport?" Adam asked walking into Jade's office.  
"No. Why do you ask?"  
"I'm leaving for Scotland on March twenty-ninth."  
"And I need a passport for that?" Jade asked sarcastically.  
"You're coming with me. I guess the London office is so busy that they can't manage to spare an assistant or two, so I have to bring my own. This means you. We're handling an event for roughly two-thousand people, and we may even be teaming up with another firm. I'm also going to want to stop by and check up on the London office. Just to make sure they aren't wasting my money. You'll be accompanying me for that, as well."  
"London and Scotland? Wow."  
"No, not really 'wow'. Just kind of 'eh'. They're really rainy this time of year." Adam said. "But for someone who has never been out of the country, I suppose it's great."  
"I usually handle all of your accounts while you're out of town. Who is going to do that this time?"  
"Why do you think I still keep Hunter around?" Adam asked with a wicked smile. "He can handle all of that, but I will need you to book our flight and hotel. You'll have to break the news to Hunter. He wanted to go, but I couldn't have _both_ he and I out of the country at the same time. Tough luck. Maybe next time. And, since you only have three weeks until we leave, you're going to need to leave the office right now, and go get a passport. You will have to wait in line. And you'll have to wait in line for a very long time."  
Jade grinned. "I'll have to call my parents. They'll never believe it."  
Adam shook his head, walking towards his own office. "Call your parents from the airport. Until that time, you're very busy and all of your time is my time."  
Jade rolled his eyes. Adam paused in the doorway and turned around. "And don't roll your eyes at me."  
Jade smiled, and Adam returned it, going into his office and closing the door. Jade picked up the phone and dialed Adam's extension.  
"What now?"  
"Well, boss, I'm about to call the hotel, but I don't know how many nights to you didn't tell me how long we're staying."  
Adam sighed. "Can't you read my mind?"  
"Unfortunately, I haven't mastered that task quite yet."  
"We'll be gone a week and a half. I'm thinking we'll need to be in Scotland from the thirtieth up until the fourth. The party is on the third. We'll need to fly to London and we can spend three days there. We'll fly out on the eighth, and be back to work on the tenth. Is that enough for you?"  
"Perfect. And I'm flying First Class and you're flying coach right?"  
"You think you're so funny, don't you?" Adam quipped.  
Jade laughed. "That's all. Bye."  
"Bye."  
Jade hit the end call button and then proceeded to dial their travel agent's phone number. She was nice enough to book the flights and the hotels for a fairly decent rate. Jade was glad for this, and gave her the company American Express information. She sent him a confirmation email and stated that their plane tickets would arrive in the mail within five to seven business days. Jade forwarded this email to Adam, who responded with:  
_I hope you were smart enough make sure we had separate, adjacent rooms._  
Jade smiled before replying.  
_Oops. One room. One bed. Is that bad?_  
Jade swore he could hear Adam laugh in the other room. Minutes later, he nearly fell out of his chair when Adam sent his response.  
_Yes, that's bad. On second thought, that could actually be very, very good._  
The fact that Adam had sent him a relatively dirty email was mind-blowing. Though he knew if approached about it, Adam would say that he meant it in a business manner only and that having Jade to do his grunt work at all hours of the day was ideal. Jade read the email about thirty times before he decided on a response.  
_Yes, sir. We have separate, adjacent rooms. I can call and have that switched, if you'd prefer._  
He was slightly disappointed when Adam gave him a simple reply.  
_No. Apparently you managed to do your job right. Shouldn't you be doing something other than annoying me via email?_  
Jade wanted to reply and note that Adam had started it, but he decided to get on with his work instead. He went to Hunter's office and spent far too long discussing details. Which meant they were talking about everything other than work. He kept his mouth shut about the strange response from Adam, electing to keep that one to himself. For now. He certainly wouldn't be deleting that one anytime soon.  
When he returned to his own office, it was well past one. He walked straight through and right into Adam's office without knocking. He hadn't realized that he had done that and by then it was already too late. He had expected to be admonished for his barging in, and waited politely to be acknowledged.  
Adam looked up, and as quite a surprise to Jade, smiled.  
"I'm finished with all of the other things you told me to do. I'm going to head over to the passport office now, if you don't mind."  
"Go for it. I'd pack a lunch. The last time I was there it took almost three hours."  
"Thanks. I'll see you later, then."  
Adam shook his head. "When you're done with that, go home. We have a lot to do over the next few weeks."  
Jade smiled. "Thank you."  
"But don't tell anyone that I let you go home early. Tell them you were doing more things I told you to do. Running errands and picking up my dry cleaning. They already think you're my favorite."  
"Aren't I?" Jade asked with a coy smile.  
Adam smiled slowly, looking at Jade for a few long moments before answering him. "Possibly."  
The three weeks flew by, and before Jade knew it, he had his passport, their plane tickets, and was driving over to Adam's loft on Sunset and Vine. He was directed by Adam to park in the building in spot 5B; Adam's second parking space. He took the elevator up above the shops and to the fifth floor, which was really only the third floor of apartments.  
Nervously Jade stepped out of the elevator, looked to his left and right, and notice that the only door on that floor was marked five. He walked up and rang the buzzer. Adam answered the door, wearing an INXS tee and a pair of loose fitting jeans. It was a far cry from the attire Adam usually wore, and Jade was glad that he hadn't decided to dress nicely, either.  
"Are you hungry?"  
At the mention of food, Jade's stomach growled. "No, thank you, though."  
Adam raised an eyebrow, gesturing for Jade to follow. Jade held in his gasp of awe as he looked around Adam's enormous loft. Walls of windows that went from the ceiling to the floor covered only by white curtains that let in plenty of light were the focal point of the room. He had a large living area with a sofa that looked like it hadn't even been touched let alone lounged on, and just beyond that was a full wet bar with every liquor imaginable stocked in glass cabinets. The hard wood floor was magnificent and didn't so much as squeak beneath his feet.  
He followed Adam closely into a large kitchen with an island in the center. The black marble counter top was cool beneath Jade's fingers as he trailed them across it. The track lighting above him was stainless steel, as were all of the kitchen utensils that were stationed in various areas.  
Jade looked across the service bar and saw that Adam's large dining room table was surrounded by red, high-backed chairs. Just past the dining room and to the right was an area hidden by long, black curtains that hung from metal rods about a foot below the twelve foot ceiling. He assumed this was Adam's bedroom, and for some reason, he wanted so badly to see it.  
"Do you want a muffin? A bagel? Coffee? All of the above?"  
Jade shook his head, eyes still drawn to the curtained off area. "Oh, I'm fine."  
Adam followed Jade's gaze, and then let his eyes wander back. "My bedroom. And I can hear your stomach grumbling from here. You can eat my food. It's not poisoned."  
Jade met Adam's eyes and smiled shyly. "A muffin would be great."  
Adam walked over to the pantry and opened the door. "I have pumpkin, blueberry, poppy seed, banana nut, and chocolate. But I only have one of the chocolate ones left."  
"Then chocolate's out of the question."  
"No, you can have it." Adam said quickly. "Just, based on your appetite, I figured you wanted at least two."  
"Banana nut?"  
Adam pulled out two banana nut muffins and set them on the counter. He grabbed a paper towel, put one on it, and handed it to Jade. "There. The car should be here in twenty minutes. We'll go get your bags from your car, and then head to the airport. I, however, need to find a particular tie."  
"Need help?" Jade asked, shoving half of the muffin top into his mouth.  
Adam looked at Jade and briefly thought that this lithe, pretty creature could easily match the decor of his home. He pushed that thought away quickly. Over the past two months, Jade had managed to endear himself to him, and Adam didn't like that thought at all. He didn't want to be attracted to Jade, he didn't want to think he was smart or witty or funny, but the fact of the matter was, he did find Jade to be all of those things. He lost a little bit of who he thought he was every time Jade looked at him a certain way, and he liked it and feared it at the same time. He found that he was beginning to cross over into dangerous territory by blurring the lines between business, friendship, and infatuation.  
Adam thought about it for a moment and nodded for Jade to follow. Jade did just that and ventured farther into Adam's cavernous living space. He passed the only door he'd seen, other than the front door, and had to assume that it was the bathroom. Adam pulled aside one of the curtains and passed through, holding it open for Jade to do the same.  
He stepped onto black carpeting and looked around to discover that this approximately fifteen by maybe twenty foot area was all painted red. This, too, had floor to ceiling windows, and another door he assumed was a second entrance to the bathroom. There was a spiral staircase in the corner that went to a smaller area above the bathroom.  
"What's up there?" Jade asked, unable to stop himself.  
"An office." Adam said, beginning to rifle through a set of drawers in search of this tie.  
Jade grunted a response and let his eyes drift to the king size bed – which was unmade, and outfitted in pure, white sheets. In the opposite corner of the room, there was a very comfortable looking love seat, and a huge chair that Jade felt was calling to him. He walked over and sat down in it, facing away from the large television and turning towards Adam.  
"Your place is amazing." Jade said, his tone conveying just that.  
"Thanks." Adam said dully.  
"It matches your personality. It suits you."  
"How so?" Adam asked, curious to hear the answer.  
Jade frowned, thinking of the nicest way to say that he was magnificent, yet impersonal. "It's very well kept, and decorated nicely. It just...seems like the kind of place you would live. Everything is in its place and so very, very clean. I'm afraid to drop a crumb."  
Adam laughed. "Don't be. I do it all the time. I have a cleaning lady who comes Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. And what you really mean is that this place suits me because it's plain and cold."  
"I don't think you're plain and cold. I think you pretend to be, but you're not really. You don't want to be that. No one wants to be that, but it just happens sometimes."  
Jade's words struck a chord deep within Adam. When someone tells you something about yourself that is that true, it will always sting just a bit. To hear it coming from Jade made it that much worse.  
"It happens to all of us." Jade added, thinking he might have gone too far.  
Adam looked up, his blue eyes seeming to glow from across the room. "You're the first person who has been in here in a very long time. Aside from my cleaning lady of course."  
"Really? Not even Davey?"  
Adam shook his head and went back to his search. "Weren't you supposed to help me look for my tie?"  
"That's what I said. But I really just wanted to see what your bedroom was like."  
"Is it to your standards?"  
"Much higher than mine. Certainly. I could never live in a place this nice."  
"Don't sell yourself short." Adam said earnestly.  
"I'm amazed that someone your age could have all that you have. You're what, twenty-six? And you have everything I've ever dreamed of. I admire you for that."  
Adam looked up and Jade saw his face wash with a profound sadness. "I made a lot of sacrifices. Some worth it, others not so much."  
Jade felt a twisting in the pit of his stomach, and he knew it was because of Adam. He sat quietly for a moment, thinking it best not to say anything. He finished his muffin and walked in Adam's direction, placing his hand on Adam's arm.  
"You're going to have to forget about the tie. We have to leave."  
Adam smiled, closing the drawer and following Jade out of his bedroom. Jade crumpled up the paper towel and turned to Adam. "Trash?"  
Adam walked him through the kitchen and pulled open a drawer that revealed a nearly empty trash bin. Jade dropped the towel into it and walked in the direction of the front door. When he turned around to face Adam, he saw that Adam was holding another muffin. "You're going to need one for the road."  
Jade smiled and took it from him, opening the door and stepping into the hallway. Adam closed and locked the door behind them and walked beside Jade, luggage in tow, to the elevator. They went down to Jade's car, and Jade made Adam hold his muffin while he pulled all of his baggage out of his trunk.  
"You know we're only going to be gone for a week and a half. You didn't have to bring everything you have." Adam said.  
"I _didn't_ bring everything I have, but I did need to bring options." Jade said, closing his trunk.  
Adam smiled, holding Jade's muffin out to him. Jade bit into it, teeth coming mere centimeters from grazing Adam's fingers. He chewed, smiling with his mouth full. Adam looked at Jade, not able to believe he had just done that.  
When the car arrived, they loaded all of their luggage into the trunk and slid into the backseat. The remaining portions of Jade's muffin were eaten by Adam, who had to either consume it or throw it away, due to Jade's lack of hands.  
"I can't believe you ate the rest of my muffin." Jade griped.  
"It was either eat it, or throw it away. If I had done the latter as opposed to the former, you'd be complaining about how I threw your muffin away. There's no winning with you."  
"You can win sometimes. You just have to be really good." Jade said, giving Adam a sidelong glance.  
"And how do you get really good?"  
"Practice."  
"Should I be practicing, then?"  
"I think you already are."  
Adam stopped speaking, but looked at Jade directly. Their banter had gone off on a tangent, and Adam's tiny remark had turned into something much bigger. He said the words before he knew what they meant, and when he thought about it, it did make sense. To win Jade over, he had to make Jade happy, and while he didn't do it all of the time, he did succeed in doing it most of the time. He tried.  
What Jade was saying was...what was Jade saying?  
Adam broke their stare and turned his head to look out the window. He didn't know what he was doing anymore, and he truly felt so out of control in his life. Why hadn't he met Jade outside of work? The answer to that was simple: he had nothing outside of work. If he hadn't met Jade at work, he would have never met him.  
All of these questions, all of these concerns had to be put on the back burner. For now, he was Jade's boss, and Jade was his employee.  
"When we get to the airport, we're going to have an hour of down time, and we'll be going over our itinerary for the trip. I have an outline."  
"Of course you do." Jade said a bit curtly. Just a few minutes ago, he and Adam had something akin to a flirtation going, and, as usual, Adam stopped it short. He was almost sure, now, that Adam was interested. All of those long glances, the special treatment, the fact that they had almost kissed. Then it's back to business.  
Jade wanted Adam so badly he ached for him in his bones. If he could just get to him, just get under his skin enough, he knew he could have him.  
Adam's smile was apologetic, but he continued anyway. "This is a very big deal, and if we can make these clients happy, then it will bring more business not only to our overseas offices, but to our North American offices, as well. It's very important."  
"I understand."  
"That's why I brought you with me. You're good at your job, and I need the best." If the only validation Adam could offer Jade was on a business level, then he would do just that.  
Jade felt his insides warm and he knew that Adam was offering this compliment as consolation. "Thank you. I won't let you down."  
"You never do."  
The flight was long, and the layover in New York felt even longer. By the time they made it to Scotland, Jade was so tired he thought he could sleep for days. When they checked into the hotel, and he got to his room, he laid down face first on the bed and didn't even bother unpacking. The phone rang, startling him.  
"What?" He grumbled into the receiver.  
"Meet me in the lobby."  
Adam's voice was weary, and he knew he was beyond exhausted as well.  
"Why?" Jade snapped.  
"Because I'm going to feed you. And you have to stay awake for the next three hours to try to adjust to the time change."  
Jade sighed. "I'm getting up. I'll see you in a few."  
When Jade walked into the lobby, Adam couldn't help the smile that crept onto his face. Jade had changed into a hoodie and looked just like a child who was awake way past his bedtime. When Jade was close enough, Adam instinctively reached his arm out and wrapped it around Jade's shoulders. Jade tensed at the unexpected motion and then relaxed, leaning into the heat of Adam's firm body.  
Adam realized after he reached out for Jade that this was something he shouldn't have done, but held onto him, anyway, as it had been so long since he felt the weight of another person against his body. Jade was soft and felt so fragile under his strong arm and his fingers rested against his surprisingly muscular shoulder. He led them towards the hotel restaurant, still not letting go.  
"I'm sorry. I'm tired, too. But we have to stay awake. We have a meeting with investors in the morning, and a meeting with the clients in the afternoon."  
"And what? A meeting with the Pope in the evening?"  
Adam laughed, and Jade felt the vibrations run through his own body. "The Pope is in Rome, so no. The night is yours. Enjoy Glasgow, Scotland."  
"But I've never been here. I wouldn't know where to go. I'll probably just stay in my room and watch TV." Jade said, almost sadly.  
Adam knew what Jade was doing, and wanted so desperately to ignore it, but he bit the line, anyway. "I'll probably still be working late into the night, but if I find myself with nothing to do tomorrow night, maybe I'll show you around."  
Jade smiled. "I'd like that. A lot, really."  
Adam took his arm off of Jade and opened the door for him. They were seated quickly, and ordered as soon as the waitress came their way. The conversation was minimal, both men being so painfully tired. When they finished eating, Adam looked at his phone, skipping through his emails and checking the local time. It was just after eight in the evening. Adam looked at Jade with bloodshot eyes.  
"I need to go to bed, now."  
Jade laughed. "Yes, you do."  
They walked to the elevator and got inside, looking at each other as the doors closed. When it stopped at their floor, they stepped out, walking to their doors. Jade, in the back of his sleep deprived mind actually considered inviting Adam in, and he almost laughed aloud at this notion. Adam saw the strange look on Jade's face and raised an eyebrow.  
"What?" Adam questioned, looking at Jade curiously.  
"Nothing." Jade said with a shake of his head. "Goodnight."  
"Goodnight. I'll call you in the morning."  
The morning and afternoon meetings went well, and it was well after six in the evening by the time Jade got back to his room and changed out of his suit and into regular clothing. He settled himself on the bed and turned on the television, expecting to spend the night in. Adam hadn't said a word to him all day that wasn't directly related to business. They didn't even have lunch together. It was safe to assume that Adam wouldn't be showing him around the city tonight.  
His Blackberry vibrated on the bed next to him, and expecting it to be an email from Hunter, opened it immediately. Instead, it was an email from Adam.  
_Hungry? There's a vegetarian place not too far from here. Let me know._  
Jade smiled, getting that squishy, warm feeling again, and instead of replying, he got up, put on his shoes, and walked over to Adam's room. He knocked on the door, and Adam answered it almost immediately.  
"Food. Let's go."  
Adam smiled, holding the door open for Jade to walk through. "I have to change my shirt and put on shoes."  
Jade followed Adam deeper into the room, throwing himself back onto the bed. His shirt rode up a bit, and his pants slid down lower revealing a three inch strip of tan skin. Adam looked at Jade's flat stomach, and knew that Jade was doing this on purpose. Adam turned around and bent over, grabbing a plain black tee shirt out of his bag. With his back to Jade, he unbuttoned his dress shirt and slipped it off, turning just slightly so he could drape it over a nearby chair.  
Jade's eyes traced every muscle that could be seen in Adam's back. He stared at the color inked onto Adam's arms and suddenly, it felt too hot to be wearing the long sleeved shirt he was wearing. Adam pulled the shirt on over his head and reached down to grab a hoodie. He pulled that on and zipped it up, picking up a black, twill jacket and put that on over the hoodie. He sat down on the edge of the bed and could feel Jade's thigh pressed against his lower back. He put on his Chuck Taylors and tied them, standing up and extending a hand to Jade.  
Jade grabbed Adam's hand, and Adam pulled him from the bed as though he was weightless. Jade stumbled a bit, having to brace himself against Adam's solid chest for stability. Adam placed his other hand on the small of Jade's back and held it there until he was steady. They broke this position, realizing how awkward it had been, and left the room without mentioning it.  
They walked out into the cool, night air, and Jade took Adam's lead, falling in stride beside him.  
"It's a few blocks down. I would have taken you last night, but we were both too tired."  
"That's all right. Thanks for taking me tonight, though."  
Adam didn't respond, and when they got there, Jade was surprised at the atmosphere. It was jovial and friendly, and everyone looked like they were having such a great time. When Jade looked at the menu, he understood why. Apparently it was virtually impossible to order a drink in this place that wasn't a liquor of some sort. Jade stuck with water, while Adam ordered a lager, but only had two.  
Jade was actually glad that Adam had chosen beer, as it seemed to work wonders in the area of loosening his tongue. Adam talked to Jade about all sorts of things, and asked him many questions about his family, his life before moving to LA, pets he had as a child, and why the Clash may be the greatest band to ever exist. Jade, now, realized why Davey only had Adam's full attention after he'd been drinking. But Jade knew a thing or two about alcohol, and knew that two glasses of beer over a two hour period was not nearly enough to constitute being drunk.  
Adam monopolized the conversation, and Jade was glad for this. They walked around the city, and Adam pointed out things of interest until Jade mentioned that it was getting close to eleven, and they had several early morning meetings. Again.  
Jade didn't want to end the night, and if he was with anyone other than Adam, he would have considered this the best date he had ever been on. Since it was Adam, it was just another item to add to the list of things that made their relationship complicated and delicate.  
Jade looked over at Adam, who looked right back at him, but frowned. "Are you cold?"  
"Huh? Yeah. But we'll be back at the hotel in twenty minutes or so, right?" Jade said. He was cold, but it was nothing like Pennsylvania in January. That was cold.  
Adam stopped and unzipped his top jacket, leaving him in only a hoodie. He held it open so that Jade could slip his arms through. He then turned Jade around and zipped it up, smiling at how it was just a little too big for him. He looked adorable in it.  
"Thanks." Jade said. The jacket was warm and smelled just like Adam. He snuggled into it, digging his hands into the pockets. Adam reached over and slid his hand into one of the pockets as well, brushing against Jade's hand as he reached for his cigarettes. He pulled them out and smiled cheekily at Jade, who looked very startled. Jade rolled his eyes, and Adam pulled out a cigarette, sliding it between his lips and lighting it. He inhaled and blew a large puff of smoke out into the night air.  
Adam seemed to be in a really good mood. An unusually, really, really, good mood, so Jade decided to ask about something that Hunter had mentioned on several occasions. "So what happened to you to make you so anti-love?"  
Adam coughed hard, as you really shouldn't surprise someone who is inhaling on a cigarette. "Who says I'm anti-love?"  
"It's kind of obvious, but I've heard some things."  
"You mean Hunter and his big God damn mouth?"  
"Pretty much, yeah. He told me that you used to be nice and funny sometimes, but, I guess it would be a year ago, now, that you just became the biggest asshole on the planet. Made everyone's life miserable."  
Adam nodded. "Bad break up."  
"What happened?" Jade felt that he needed to know this bit of information to complete his mission of figuring out the Adam puzzle.  
Adam opened his mouth to say that it wasn't anyone's business but his own until he looked over at Jade and saw his big, curious eyes. He closed his mouth and was quiet for a whole city block.  
Jade didn't push as he knew he was treading over very thin, very cold ice.  
"His name is Jared." Adam said quietly. "I loved him more than I thought I could love anyone. I guess that just wasn't good enough."  
Jade stayed silent, knowing that he was being given information that Adam probably hadn't given very many people.  
"We got together when we were eighteen. We met in college and went to grad school together. He went into advertising, and I went into Public Relations, obviously. It was great for a long, long time, until we moved here. At the beginning of last year, he said that it was hard for him that I devoted so much of myself to my work and not to him. Then, one day, I came home from work and he wasn't there. Left a note taped to the refrigerator that said he moved back to San Francisco and that he didn't love me anymore. I found out later that he had been seeing someone else for an entire year and I never knew, because I was never around. Shit like that hurts, you know?"  
"I do know." Jade said softly.  
"It's hard when the person you trust most in life betrays you. I guess I let that effect me way too much and took it out on everyone. Especially Hunter. Partially because he was someone I trusted, too, and partially because I was just around him a lot. He got the worst of it, and to be completely honest, if I was every truly sorry about anything, it would be for the way I treated him for so long. But even after all that, he still stood by me. I never thanked him for that."  
"Maybe you should."  
"Maybe I should." Adam looked at Jade and gave him a tight lipped smile.  
Jade could see that these were things that still pained him, and he was sorry for that. Even though he didn't know Jared, and never experienced the things that Hunter had to witness, he was so sorry. He didn't say this to Adam, though, because he knew that Adam would put up more walls if he knew he felt this way.  
"I don't want to think about him anymore. I don't, as much, now. Think about him, I mean. But it's hard when you're in bed, alone at night, not to. Every once in a while I'll really miss him, despite everything. I don't want to trust anyone. I don't want ... I can't go through that again. I'm not strong enough to make it out alive if it happens again. But to bring it back and answer your question. I'm not anti-love. At least I don't want to be. I can't help it."  
Jade smiled to himself. He had gotten every piece to Adam's puzzle. If he had known that all he had to do was ask, he would have done so sooner. It was finally so easy to see why Adam was mean, why he was unattainable, and why he would never let new people get close to him. It explains his treatment of Davey. It explains his treatment of Hunter. Best of all, it explained his treatment of Jade.  
"If you never let anyone close to you again, then you'll never get over him. If you don't ever start a new relationship, that one will always be your last. And you don't want that. You want to fall in love. You want to be able to tell these sappy stories to the grandchildren you'll never have."  
Adam laughed at this.  
"You're ready to start something with someone else, but you don't want to believe that because you're too afraid. Not everyone is going to hurt you like that, but you'll never find that out unless you trust someone again."  
Adam looked at Jade for a long time before he spoke. "Maybe I should."  
"Maybe you should."  
The soiree went well, and Jade did Adam proud. They met hundreds of potential new clients, and set up several meetings for when they got back to Los Angeles. Overall, this was even better than Adam's highest expectations. They paid a visit to the London office, and some of the newer employees were unaccustomed to Adam's domineering ways, which Jade found quite funny. Adam told the office manager that he was doing a decent job and gave him tips on how to improve their business.  
The flight back was just as long and just as tiring as the last, but Jade managed to sleep on the plane this time. What he didn't realize is that somewhere over Ohio, he slipped and ended up resting on Adam's shoulder. Adam let him sleep that way for the rest of the flight, and even when he woke up, Jade was none the wiser.  
They were picked up by a car and taken back to Adam's apartment. Adam and Jade parted ways, and Adam went back up to his loft. He didn't bother unpacking but knew he had to stay awake to try to get back on LA time. After watching TV for an hour, he drifted into a heavy sleep on the couch.  
_Adam was lying by the pool on his rooftop. It was just before dusk, and the light was glinting off the water. It was warm, and the Southern California sun was being generous with its glow. His eyes searched the water for his companion, and when he found him, in the center of the pool floating on a lounge chair with his drink in the cup holder, he smiled. He was content with the lazy day they had shared.  
He was happy.  
There was a splash in the water, and he looked over to see the chair and drink still floating, but his companion was no longer on it. He closed his eyes and laid back against the pool side chair, his towel making a comfortable pillow. He felt cold water dripping on him and he smiled, speaking without opening his eyes.  
"Are you finished?"  
Suddenly there was a cold, wet, weight on him, and he was forced to open his eyes. The man's blond and brown hair was sticking up in various directions and Adam laughed. Two cold hands settled themselves on his cheeks, and the man leaned forward, pressing his lips to Adam's.  
Adam kissed him back, bringing his hands up to the man's back, pulling his body down on top of him. His counterpart pulled back, kissing his cheeks, his jaw, and finally the center of his throat before rolling to the side and cuddling up next to Adam's sun-warmed body.  
"I love you." He whispered in Adam's ear. "I love you so much I can't even stand to think about it sometimes."  
Adam turned his head to the side and kissed him again. "I love you, too, Jade."  
He sighed when Adam wrapped his arms around him, pulling him closer. They laid entwined on the rooftop and watched the sun set, bringing night to the busy city._  
Adam bolted upright, panting heavily. He looked up at the wall clock and saw that it was quarter past seven in the evening. His body was shaking, wracked with nervous tension and his stomach twisted itself in knots. He planted his feet on the floor and ran his hands through his hair, trying to calm his firing nerves.  
He felt sick.  
He'd had this dream before. Many, many times over the past few months, but he had always assumed it was Jared that he had been dreaming about. In his dream, the man never had an audible voice, or a name, or even a face. He was something Adam always _felt_ more than actually _saw_ and when he woke up, he was usually saddened by it. This time, he was terrified. In retrospect, every single time he had this dream, it had been Jade. His subconscious simply hadn't made him aware of it until now.  
He stood up and walked to his kitchen, pouring himself a glass of water. He sipped it slowly, trying to calm his nausea.  
"Fuck." Adam said aloud. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."  
He had almost kissed Jade, once, and he had assumed that was because he was so starved for another's affection. He talked himself into believing that he would have almost kissed just about anyone in that one vulnerable moment.  
Now, he couldn't lie to himself anymore. He had such a desperate need for Jade that he was willing to break his back to give Jade anything he so much as even briefly considered _thinking_ about wanting.  
And Jade was one of the few people who knew his deepest insecurities.  
Jade could hurt him, and he could do so in ways that he would never be able to recover from.  
He couldn't let this happen.  
He wouldn't let this happen.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter Six: The Walls Have Teeth**__  
When he dreams he dreams of a flawless escape._

"Do you have a passport?" Adam asked walking into Jade's office.  
"No. Why do you ask?"  
"I'm leaving for Scotland on March twenty-ninth."  
"And I need a passport for that?" Jade asked sarcastically.  
"You're coming with me. I guess the London office is so busy that they can't manage to spare an assistant or two, so I have to bring my own. This means you. We're handling an event for roughly two-thousand people, and we may even be teaming up with another firm. I'm also going to want to stop by and check up on the London office. Just to make sure they aren't wasting my money. You'll be accompanying me for that, as well."  
"London and Scotland? Wow."  
"No, not really 'wow'. Just kind of 'eh'. They're really rainy this time of year." Adam said. "But for someone who has never been out of the country, I suppose it's great."  
"I usually handle all of your accounts while you're out of town. Who is going to do that this time?"  
"Why do you think I still keep Hunter around?" Adam asked with a wicked smile. "He can handle all of that, but I will need you to book our flight and hotel. You'll have to break the news to Hunter. He wanted to go, but I couldn't have _both_ he and I out of the country at the same time. Tough luck. Maybe next time. And, since you only have three weeks until we leave, you're going to need to leave the office right now, and go get a passport. You will have to wait in line. And you'll have to wait in line for a very long time."  
Jade grinned. "I'll have to call my parents. They'll never believe it."  
Adam shook his head, walking towards his own office. "Call your parents from the airport. Until that time, you're very busy and all of your time is my time."  
Jade rolled his eyes. Adam paused in the doorway and turned around. "And don't roll your eyes at me."  
Jade smiled, and Adam returned it, going into his office and closing the door. Jade picked up the phone and dialed Adam's extension.  
"What now?"  
"Well, boss, I'm about to call the hotel, but I don't know how many nights to you didn't tell me how long we're staying."  
Adam sighed. "Can't you read my mind?"  
"Unfortunately, I haven't mastered that task quite yet."  
"We'll be gone a week and a half. I'm thinking we'll need to be in Scotland from the thirtieth up until the fourth. The party is on the third. We'll need to fly to London and we can spend three days there. We'll fly out on the eighth, and be back to work on the tenth. Is that enough for you?"  
"Perfect. And I'm flying First Class and you're flying coach right?"  
"You think you're so funny, don't you?" Adam quipped.  
Jade laughed. "That's all. Bye."  
"Bye."  
Jade hit the end call button and then proceeded to dial their travel agent's phone number. She was nice enough to book the flights and the hotels for a fairly decent rate. Jade was glad for this, and gave her the company American Express information. She sent him a confirmation email and stated that their plane tickets would arrive in the mail within five to seven business days. Jade forwarded this email to Adam, who responded with:  
_I hope you were smart enough make sure we had separate, adjacent rooms._  
Jade smiled before replying.  
_Oops. One room. One bed. Is that bad?_  
Jade swore he could hear Adam laugh in the other room. Minutes later, he nearly fell out of his chair when Adam sent his response.  
_Yes, that's bad. On second thought, that could actually be very, very good._  
The fact that Adam had sent him a relatively dirty email was mind-blowing. Though he knew if approached about it, Adam would say that he meant it in a business manner only and that having Jade to do his grunt work at all hours of the day was ideal. Jade read the email about thirty times before he decided on a response.  
_Yes, sir. We have separate, adjacent rooms. I can call and have that switched, if you'd prefer._  
He was slightly disappointed when Adam gave him a simple reply.  
_No. Apparently you managed to do your job right. Shouldn't you be doing something other than annoying me via email?_  
Jade wanted to reply and note that Adam had started it, but he decided to get on with his work instead. He went to Hunter's office and spent far too long discussing details. Which meant they were talking about everything other than work. He kept his mouth shut about the strange response from Adam, electing to keep that one to himself. For now. He certainly wouldn't be deleting that one anytime soon.  
When he returned to his own office, it was well past one. He walked straight through and right into Adam's office without knocking. He hadn't realized that he had done that and by then it was already too late. He had expected to be admonished for his barging in, and waited politely to be acknowledged.  
Adam looked up, and as quite a surprise to Jade, smiled.  
"I'm finished with all of the other things you told me to do. I'm going to head over to the passport office now, if you don't mind."  
"Go for it. I'd pack a lunch. The last time I was there it took almost three hours."  
"Thanks. I'll see you later, then."  
Adam shook his head. "When you're done with that, go home. We have a lot to do over the next few weeks."  
Jade smiled. "Thank you."  
"But don't tell anyone that I let you go home early. Tell them you were doing more things I told you to do. Running errands and picking up my dry cleaning. They already think you're my favorite."  
"Aren't I?" Jade asked with a coy smile.  
Adam smiled slowly, looking at Jade for a few long moments before answering him. "Possibly."  
The three weeks flew by, and before Jade knew it, he had his passport, their plane tickets, and was driving over to Adam's loft on Sunset and Vine. He was directed by Adam to park in the building in spot 5B; Adam's second parking space. He took the elevator up above the shops and to the fifth floor, which was really only the third floor of apartments.  
Nervously Jade stepped out of the elevator, looked to his left and right, and notice that the only door on that floor was marked five. He walked up and rang the buzzer. Adam answered the door, wearing an INXS tee and a pair of loose fitting jeans. It was a far cry from the attire Adam usually wore, and Jade was glad that he hadn't decided to dress nicely, either.  
"Are you hungry?"  
At the mention of food, Jade's stomach growled. "No, thank you, though."  
Adam raised an eyebrow, gesturing for Jade to follow. Jade held in his gasp of awe as he looked around Adam's enormous loft. Walls of windows that went from the ceiling to the floor covered only by white curtains that let in plenty of light were the focal point of the room. He had a large living area with a sofa that looked like it hadn't even been touched let alone lounged on, and just beyond that was a full wet bar with every liquor imaginable stocked in glass cabinets. The hard wood floor was magnificent and didn't so much as squeak beneath his feet.  
He followed Adam closely into a large kitchen with an island in the center. The black marble counter top was cool beneath Jade's fingers as he trailed them across it. The track lighting above him was stainless steel, as were all of the kitchen utensils that were stationed in various areas.  
Jade looked across the service bar and saw that Adam's large dining room table was surrounded by red, high-backed chairs. Just past the dining room and to the right was an area hidden by long, black curtains that hung from metal rods about a foot below the twelve foot ceiling. He assumed this was Adam's bedroom, and for some reason, he wanted so badly to see it.  
"Do you want a muffin? A bagel? Coffee? All of the above?"  
Jade shook his head, eyes still drawn to the curtained off area. "Oh, I'm fine."  
Adam followed Jade's gaze, and then let his eyes wander back. "My bedroom. And I can hear your stomach grumbling from here. You can eat my food. It's not poisoned."  
Jade met Adam's eyes and smiled shyly. "A muffin would be great."  
Adam walked over to the pantry and opened the door. "I have pumpkin, blueberry, poppy seed, banana nut, and chocolate. But I only have one of the chocolate ones left."  
"Then chocolate's out of the question."  
"No, you can have it." Adam said quickly. "Just, based on your appetite, I figured you wanted at least two."  
"Banana nut?"  
Adam pulled out two banana nut muffins and set them on the counter. He grabbed a paper towel, put one on it, and handed it to Jade. "There. The car should be here in twenty minutes. We'll go get your bags from your car, and then head to the airport. I, however, need to find a particular tie."  
"Need help?" Jade asked, shoving half of the muffin top into his mouth.  
Adam looked at Jade and briefly thought that this lithe, pretty creature could easily match the decor of his home. He pushed that thought away quickly. Over the past two months, Jade had managed to endear himself to him, and Adam didn't like that thought at all. He didn't want to be attracted to Jade, he didn't want to think he was smart or witty or funny, but the fact of the matter was, he did find Jade to be all of those things. He lost a little bit of who he thought he was every time Jade looked at him a certain way, and he liked it and feared it at the same time. He found that he was beginning to cross over into dangerous territory by blurring the lines between business, friendship, and infatuation.  
Adam thought about it for a moment and nodded for Jade to follow. Jade did just that and ventured farther into Adam's cavernous living space. He passed the only door he'd seen, other than the front door, and had to assume that it was the bathroom. Adam pulled aside one of the curtains and passed through, holding it open for Jade to do the same.  
He stepped onto black carpeting and looked around to discover that this approximately fifteen by maybe twenty foot area was all painted red. This, too, had floor to ceiling windows, and another door he assumed was a second entrance to the bathroom. There was a spiral staircase in the corner that went to a smaller area above the bathroom.  
"What's up there?" Jade asked, unable to stop himself.  
"An office." Adam said, beginning to rifle through a set of drawers in search of this tie.  
Jade grunted a response and let his eyes drift to the king size bed – which was unmade, and outfitted in pure, white sheets. In the opposite corner of the room, there was a very comfortable looking love seat, and a huge chair that Jade felt was calling to him. He walked over and sat down in it, facing away from the large television and turning towards Adam.  
"Your place is amazing." Jade said, his tone conveying just that.  
"Thanks." Adam said dully.  
"It matches your personality. It suits you."  
"How so?" Adam asked, curious to hear the answer.  
Jade frowned, thinking of the nicest way to say that he was magnificent, yet impersonal. "It's very well kept, and decorated nicely. It just...seems like the kind of place you would live. Everything is in its place and so very, very clean. I'm afraid to drop a crumb."  
Adam laughed. "Don't be. I do it all the time. I have a cleaning lady who comes Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. And what you really mean is that this place suits me because it's plain and cold."  
"I don't think you're plain and cold. I think you pretend to be, but you're not really. You don't want to be that. No one wants to be that, but it just happens sometimes."  
Jade's words struck a chord deep within Adam. When someone tells you something about yourself that is that true, it will always sting just a bit. To hear it coming from Jade made it that much worse.  
"It happens to all of us." Jade added, thinking he might have gone too far.  
Adam looked up, his blue eyes seeming to glow from across the room. "You're the first person who has been in here in a very long time. Aside from my cleaning lady of course."  
"Really? Not even Davey?"  
Adam shook his head and went back to his search. "Weren't you supposed to help me look for my tie?"  
"That's what I said. But I really just wanted to see what your bedroom was like."  
"Is it to your standards?"  
"Much higher than mine. Certainly. I could never live in a place this nice."  
"Don't sell yourself short." Adam said earnestly.  
"I'm amazed that someone your age could have all that you have. You're what, twenty-six? And you have everything I've ever dreamed of. I admire you for that."  
Adam looked up and Jade saw his face wash with a profound sadness. "I made a lot of sacrifices. Some worth it, others not so much."  
Jade felt a twisting in the pit of his stomach, and he knew it was because of Adam. He sat quietly for a moment, thinking it best not to say anything. He finished his muffin and walked in Adam's direction, placing his hand on Adam's arm.  
"You're going to have to forget about the tie. We have to leave."  
Adam smiled, closing the drawer and following Jade out of his bedroom. Jade crumpled up the paper towel and turned to Adam. "Trash?"  
Adam walked him through the kitchen and pulled open a drawer that revealed a nearly empty trash bin. Jade dropped the towel into it and walked in the direction of the front door. When he turned around to face Adam, he saw that Adam was holding another muffin. "You're going to need one for the road."  
Jade smiled and took it from him, opening the door and stepping into the hallway. Adam closed and locked the door behind them and walked beside Jade, luggage in tow, to the elevator. They went down to Jade's car, and Jade made Adam hold his muffin while he pulled all of his baggage out of his trunk.  
"You know we're only going to be gone for a week and a half. You didn't have to bring everything you have." Adam said.  
"I _didn't_ bring everything I have, but I did need to bring options." Jade said, closing his trunk.  
Adam smiled, holding Jade's muffin out to him. Jade bit into it, teeth coming mere centimeters from grazing Adam's fingers. He chewed, smiling with his mouth full. Adam looked at Jade, not able to believe he had just done that.  
When the car arrived, they loaded all of their luggage into the trunk and slid into the backseat. The remaining portions of Jade's muffin were eaten by Adam, who had to either consume it or throw it away, due to Jade's lack of hands.  
"I can't believe you ate the rest of my muffin." Jade griped.  
"It was either eat it, or throw it away. If I had done the latter as opposed to the former, you'd be complaining about how I threw your muffin away. There's no winning with you."  
"You can win sometimes. You just have to be really good." Jade said, giving Adam a sidelong glance.  
"And how do you get really good?"  
"Practice."  
"Should I be practicing, then?"  
"I think you already are."  
Adam stopped speaking, but looked at Jade directly. Their banter had gone off on a tangent, and Adam's tiny remark had turned into something much bigger. He said the words before he knew what they meant, and when he thought about it, it did make sense. To win Jade over, he had to make Jade happy, and while he didn't do it all of the time, he did succeed in doing it most of the time. He tried.  
What Jade was saying was...what was Jade saying?  
Adam broke their stare and turned his head to look out the window. He didn't know what he was doing anymore, and he truly felt so out of control in his life. Why hadn't he met Jade outside of work? The answer to that was simple: he had nothing outside of work. If he hadn't met Jade at work, he would have never met him.  
All of these questions, all of these concerns had to be put on the back burner. For now, he was Jade's boss, and Jade was his employee.  
"When we get to the airport, we're going to have an hour of down time, and we'll be going over our itinerary for the trip. I have an outline."  
"Of course you do." Jade said a bit curtly. Just a few minutes ago, he and Adam had something akin to a flirtation going, and, as usual, Adam stopped it short. He was almost sure, now, that Adam was interested. All of those long glances, the special treatment, the fact that they had almost kissed. Then it's back to business.  
Jade wanted Adam so badly he ached for him in his bones. If he could just get to him, just get under his skin enough, he knew he could have him.  
Adam's smile was apologetic, but he continued anyway. "This is a very big deal, and if we can make these clients happy, then it will bring more business not only to our overseas offices, but to our North American offices, as well. It's very important."  
"I understand."  
"That's why I brought you with me. You're good at your job, and I need the best." If the only validation Adam could offer Jade was on a business level, then he would do just that.  
Jade felt his insides warm and he knew that Adam was offering this compliment as consolation. "Thank you. I won't let you down."  
"You never do."  
The flight was long, and the layover in New York felt even longer. By the time they made it to Scotland, Jade was so tired he thought he could sleep for days. When they checked into the hotel, and he got to his room, he laid down face first on the bed and didn't even bother unpacking. The phone rang, startling him.  
"What?" He grumbled into the receiver.  
"Meet me in the lobby."  
Adam's voice was weary, and he knew he was beyond exhausted as well.  
"Why?" Jade snapped.  
"Because I'm going to feed you. And you have to stay awake for the next three hours to try to adjust to the time change."  
Jade sighed. "I'm getting up. I'll see you in a few."  
When Jade walked into the lobby, Adam couldn't help the smile that crept onto his face. Jade had changed into a hoodie and looked just like a child who was awake way past his bedtime. When Jade was close enough, Adam instinctively reached his arm out and wrapped it around Jade's shoulders. Jade tensed at the unexpected motion and then relaxed, leaning into the heat of Adam's firm body.  
Adam realized after he reached out for Jade that this was something he shouldn't have done, but held onto him, anyway, as it had been so long since he felt the weight of another person against his body. Jade was soft and felt so fragile under his strong arm and his fingers rested against his surprisingly muscular shoulder. He led them towards the hotel restaurant, still not letting go.  
"I'm sorry. I'm tired, too. But we have to stay awake. We have a meeting with investors in the morning, and a meeting with the clients in the afternoon."  
"And what? A meeting with the Pope in the evening?"  
Adam laughed, and Jade felt the vibrations run through his own body. "The Pope is in Rome, so no. The night is yours. Enjoy Glasgow, Scotland."  
"But I've never been here. I wouldn't know where to go. I'll probably just stay in my room and watch TV." Jade said, almost sadly.  
Adam knew what Jade was doing, and wanted so desperately to ignore it, but he bit the line, anyway. "I'll probably still be working late into the night, but if I find myself with nothing to do tomorrow night, maybe I'll show you around."  
Jade smiled. "I'd like that. A lot, really."  
Adam took his arm off of Jade and opened the door for him. They were seated quickly, and ordered as soon as the waitress came their way. The conversation was minimal, both men being so painfully tired. When they finished eating, Adam looked at his phone, skipping through his emails and checking the local time. It was just after eight in the evening. Adam looked at Jade with bloodshot eyes.  
"I need to go to bed, now."  
Jade laughed. "Yes, you do."  
They walked to the elevator and got inside, looking at each other as the doors closed. When it stopped at their floor, they stepped out, walking to their doors. Jade, in the back of his sleep deprived mind actually considered inviting Adam in, and he almost laughed aloud at this notion. Adam saw the strange look on Jade's face and raised an eyebrow.  
"What?" Adam questioned, looking at Jade curiously.  
"Nothing." Jade said with a shake of his head. "Goodnight."  
"Goodnight. I'll call you in the morning."  
The morning and afternoon meetings went well, and it was well after six in the evening by the time Jade got back to his room and changed out of his suit and into regular clothing. He settled himself on the bed and turned on the television, expecting to spend the night in. Adam hadn't said a word to him all day that wasn't directly related to business. They didn't even have lunch together. It was safe to assume that Adam wouldn't be showing him around the city tonight.  
His Blackberry vibrated on the bed next to him, and expecting it to be an email from Hunter, opened it immediately. Instead, it was an email from Adam.  
_Hungry? There's a vegetarian place not too far from here. Let me know._  
Jade smiled, getting that squishy, warm feeling again, and instead of replying, he got up, put on his shoes, and walked over to Adam's room. He knocked on the door, and Adam answered it almost immediately.  
"Food. Let's go."  
Adam smiled, holding the door open for Jade to walk through. "I have to change my shirt and put on shoes."  
Jade followed Adam deeper into the room, throwing himself back onto the bed. His shirt rode up a bit, and his pants slid down lower revealing a three inch strip of tan skin. Adam looked at Jade's flat stomach, and knew that Jade was doing this on purpose. Adam turned around and bent over, grabbing a plain black tee shirt out of his bag. With his back to Jade, he unbuttoned his dress shirt and slipped it off, turning just slightly so he could drape it over a nearby chair.  
Jade's eyes traced every muscle that could be seen in Adam's back. He stared at the color inked onto Adam's arms and suddenly, it felt too hot to be wearing the long sleeved shirt he was wearing. Adam pulled the shirt on over his head and reached down to grab a hoodie. He pulled that on and zipped it up, picking up a black, twill jacket and put that on over the hoodie. He sat down on the edge of the bed and could feel Jade's thigh pressed against his lower back. He put on his Chuck Taylors and tied them, standing up and extending a hand to Jade.  
Jade grabbed Adam's hand, and Adam pulled him from the bed as though he was weightless. Jade stumbled a bit, having to brace himself against Adam's solid chest for stability. Adam placed his other hand on the small of Jade's back and held it there until he was steady. They broke this position, realizing how awkward it had been, and left the room without mentioning it.  
They walked out into the cool, night air, and Jade took Adam's lead, falling in stride beside him.  
"It's a few blocks down. I would have taken you last night, but we were both too tired."  
"That's all right. Thanks for taking me tonight, though."  
Adam didn't respond, and when they got there, Jade was surprised at the atmosphere. It was jovial and friendly, and everyone looked like they were having such a great time. When Jade looked at the menu, he understood why. Apparently it was virtually impossible to order a drink in this place that wasn't a liquor of some sort. Jade stuck with water, while Adam ordered a lager, but only had two.  
Jade was actually glad that Adam had chosen beer, as it seemed to work wonders in the area of loosening his tongue. Adam talked to Jade about all sorts of things, and asked him many questions about his family, his life before moving to LA, pets he had as a child, and why the Clash may be the greatest band to ever exist. Jade, now, realized why Davey only had Adam's full attention after he'd been drinking. But Jade knew a thing or two about alcohol, and knew that two glasses of beer over a two hour period was not nearly enough to constitute being drunk.  
Adam monopolized the conversation, and Jade was glad for this. They walked around the city, and Adam pointed out things of interest until Jade mentioned that it was getting close to eleven, and they had several early morning meetings. Again.  
Jade didn't want to end the night, and if he was with anyone other than Adam, he would have considered this the best date he had ever been on. Since it was Adam, it was just another item to add to the list of things that made their relationship complicated and delicate.  
Jade looked over at Adam, who looked right back at him, but frowned. "Are you cold?"  
"Huh? Yeah. But we'll be back at the hotel in twenty minutes or so, right?" Jade said. He was cold, but it was nothing like Pennsylvania in January. That was cold.  
Adam stopped and unzipped his top jacket, leaving him in only a hoodie. He held it open so that Jade could slip his arms through. He then turned Jade around and zipped it up, smiling at how it was just a little too big for him. He looked adorable in it.  
"Thanks." Jade said. The jacket was warm and smelled just like Adam. He snuggled into it, digging his hands into the pockets. Adam reached over and slid his hand into one of the pockets as well, brushing against Jade's hand as he reached for his cigarettes. He pulled them out and smiled cheekily at Jade, who looked very startled. Jade rolled his eyes, and Adam pulled out a cigarette, sliding it between his lips and lighting it. He inhaled and blew a large puff of smoke out into the night air.  
Adam seemed to be in a really good mood. An unusually, really, really, good mood, so Jade decided to ask about something that Hunter had mentioned on several occasions. "So what happened to you to make you so anti-love?"  
Adam coughed hard, as you really shouldn't surprise someone who is inhaling on a cigarette. "Who says I'm anti-love?"  
"It's kind of obvious, but I've heard some things."  
"You mean Hunter and his big God damn mouth?"  
"Pretty much, yeah. He told me that you used to be nice and funny sometimes, but, I guess it would be a year ago, now, that you just became the biggest asshole on the planet. Made everyone's life miserable."  
Adam nodded. "Bad break up."  
"What happened?" Jade felt that he needed to know this bit of information to complete his mission of figuring out the Adam puzzle.  
Adam opened his mouth to say that it wasn't anyone's business but his own until he looked over at Jade and saw his big, curious eyes. He closed his mouth and was quiet for a whole city block.  
Jade didn't push as he knew he was treading over very thin, very cold ice.  
"His name is Jared." Adam said quietly. "I loved him more than I thought I could love anyone. I guess that just wasn't good enough."  
Jade stayed silent, knowing that he was being given information that Adam probably hadn't given very many people.  
"We got together when we were eighteen. We met in college and went to grad school together. He went into advertising, and I went into Public Relations, obviously. It was great for a long, long time, until we moved here. At the beginning of last year, he said that it was hard for him that I devoted so much of myself to my work and not to him. Then, one day, I came home from work and he wasn't there. Left a note taped to the refrigerator that said he moved back to San Francisco and that he didn't love me anymore. I found out later that he had been seeing someone else for an entire year and I never knew, because I was never around. Shit like that hurts, you know?"  
"I do know." Jade said softly.  
"It's hard when the person you trust most in life betrays you. I guess I let that effect me way too much and took it out on everyone. Especially Hunter. Partially because he was someone I trusted, too, and partially because I was just around him a lot. He got the worst of it, and to be completely honest, if I was every truly sorry about anything, it would be for the way I treated him for so long. But even after all that, he still stood by me. I never thanked him for that."  
"Maybe you should."  
"Maybe I should." Adam looked at Jade and gave him a tight lipped smile.  
Jade could see that these were things that still pained him, and he was sorry for that. Even though he didn't know Jared, and never experienced the things that Hunter had to witness, he was so sorry. He didn't say this to Adam, though, because he knew that Adam would put up more walls if he knew he felt this way.  
"I don't want to think about him anymore. I don't, as much, now. Think about him, I mean. But it's hard when you're in bed, alone at night, not to. Every once in a while I'll really miss him, despite everything. I don't want to trust anyone. I don't want ... I can't go through that again. I'm not strong enough to make it out alive if it happens again. But to bring it back and answer your question. I'm not anti-love. At least I don't want to be. I can't help it."  
Jade smiled to himself. He had gotten every piece to Adam's puzzle. If he had known that all he had to do was ask, he would have done so sooner. It was finally so easy to see why Adam was mean, why he was unattainable, and why he would never let new people get close to him. It explains his treatment of Davey. It explains his treatment of Hunter. Best of all, it explained his treatment of Jade.  
"If you never let anyone close to you again, then you'll never get over him. If you don't ever start a new relationship, that one will always be your last. And you don't want that. You want to fall in love. You want to be able to tell these sappy stories to the grandchildren you'll never have."  
Adam laughed at this.  
"You're ready to start something with someone else, but you don't want to believe that because you're too afraid. Not everyone is going to hurt you like that, but you'll never find that out unless you trust someone again."  
Adam looked at Jade for a long time before he spoke. "Maybe I should."  
"Maybe you should."  
The soiree went well, and Jade did Adam proud. They met hundreds of potential new clients, and set up several meetings for when they got back to Los Angeles. Overall, this was even better than Adam's highest expectations. They paid a visit to the London office, and some of the newer employees were unaccustomed to Adam's domineering ways, which Jade found quite funny. Adam told the office manager that he was doing a decent job and gave him tips on how to improve their business.  
The flight back was just as long and just as tiring as the last, but Jade managed to sleep on the plane this time. What he didn't realize is that somewhere over Ohio, he slipped and ended up resting on Adam's shoulder. Adam let him sleep that way for the rest of the flight, and even when he woke up, Jade was none the wiser.  
They were picked up by a car and taken back to Adam's apartment. Adam and Jade parted ways, and Adam went back up to his loft. He didn't bother unpacking but knew he had to stay awake to try to get back on LA time. After watching TV for an hour, he drifted into a heavy sleep on the couch.  
_Adam was lying by the pool on his rooftop. It was just before dusk, and the light was glinting off the water. It was warm, and the Southern California sun was being generous with its glow. His eyes searched the water for his companion, and when he found him, in the center of the pool floating on a lounge chair with his drink in the cup holder, he smiled. He was content with the lazy day they had shared.  
He was happy.  
There was a splash in the water, and he looked over to see the chair and drink still floating, but his companion was no longer on it. He closed his eyes and laid back against the pool side chair, his towel making a comfortable pillow. He felt cold water dripping on him and he smiled, speaking without opening his eyes.  
"Are you finished?"  
Suddenly there was a cold, wet, weight on him, and he was forced to open his eyes. The man's blond and brown hair was sticking up in various directions and Adam laughed. Two cold hands settled themselves on his cheeks, and the man leaned forward, pressing his lips to Adam's.  
Adam kissed him back, bringing his hands up to the man's back, pulling his body down on top of him. His counterpart pulled back, kissing his cheeks, his jaw, and finally the center of his throat before rolling to the side and cuddling up next to Adam's sun-warmed body.  
"I love you." He whispered in Adam's ear. "I love you so much I can't even stand to think about it sometimes."  
Adam turned his head to the side and kissed him again. "I love you, too, Jade."  
He sighed when Adam wrapped his arms around him, pulling him closer. They laid entwined on the rooftop and watched the sun set, bringing night to the busy city._  
Adam bolted upright, panting heavily. He looked up at the wall clock and saw that it was quarter past seven in the evening. His body was shaking, wracked with nervous tension and his stomach twisted itself in knots. He planted his feet on the floor and ran his hands through his hair, trying to calm his firing nerves.  
He felt sick.  
He'd had this dream before. Many, many times over the past few months, but he had always assumed it was Jared that he had been dreaming about. In his dream, the man never had an audible voice, or a name, or even a face. He was something Adam always _felt_ more than actually _saw_ and when he woke up, he was usually saddened by it. This time, he was terrified. In retrospect, every single time he had this dream, it had been Jade. His subconscious simply hadn't made him aware of it until now.  
He stood up and walked to his kitchen, pouring himself a glass of water. He sipped it slowly, trying to calm his nausea.  
"Fuck." Adam said aloud. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."  
He had almost kissed Jade, once, and he had assumed that was because he was so starved for another's affection. He talked himself into believing that he would have almost kissed just about anyone in that one vulnerable moment.  
Now, he couldn't lie to himself anymore. He had such a desperate need for Jade that he was willing to break his back to give Jade anything he so much as even briefly considered _thinking_ about wanting.  
And Jade was one of the few people who knew his deepest insecurities.  
Jade could hurt him, and he could do so in ways that he would never be able to recover from.  
He couldn't let this happen.  
He wouldn't let this happen.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter Seven: You Think I'm Pretty?**__  
Oh The sickness. Oh the sadness. I can't think._

Jade sat at his desk on Tuesday morning, flipping through the phone messages that Amy had for him. He couldn't really say that it was good to be back, but he had missed Hunter. It was nice being in Scotland and London where they only companion he had was Adam, and Adam seemed more than happy to have it that way.

His office door clicked open and Adam walked through, glancing in Jade's direction and then heading straight for his office. Jade had looked up, and stared at Adam's retreating back.  
"Hey, Adam." Jade said slowly. When Adam didn't respond, Jade looked painfully confused.  
Adam said nothing, just slipped into his office. Jade made a face of utter disbelief. It was nine in the morning. There were very few things that Jade could have done to put himself on Adam's shitlist this at this hour. Jade pushed his chair back and stood up, walking to Adam's office. He opened the door and saw that Adam was sitting there with the palms of his hands covering his eyes. When Adam looked up, Jade could see that his eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep.  
Instead of telling Adam that the least he could do was say hello, he became concerned.  
"Are you okay?" Jade asked, walking closer to Adam's desk. "Nothing personal, but you don't look so great. Did you not sleep well?"  
Something flickered in Adam's eyes, but it was gone quickly. "When a door is closed, you knock before you come in."  
"Sorry?" Jade said questioningly. He wasn't really sorry. "Do you want me to go get you coffee? Maybe you should take a nap."  
Jade reached out to brush Adam's hair back but Adam pulled away, not letting Jade's fingers come in contact with his skin. Jade stepped back, turning away from Adam and walking back to the door. "Fine. But if you need me, you know where I am."  
When Jade left, Adam sighed, placing his head on his desk. It wasn't going to be easy not to accept Jade's comfort when it was offered, or lean into his gentle touch. But it would be for the best. He'd get the hang of it again. He would just push and push until Jade gave up, and they would both be in safer places. It wasn't going to be too hard. It's not like he loved Jade or anything.  
The day went by, but both Jade and Adam felt like they were walking on eggshells around each other. Jade would smile at Adam and Adam would ignore it. If Jade asked him a work related question, he would answer using the fewest possible words and the least amount of eye contact.  
Jade was confused. He didn't know what he had done wrong to deserve this treatment. It didn't make sense at all. If Adam was mad at him for something and wanted to act like a little girl about it, then he would have to deal with it. Jade gave himself until Friday to put up with it. That gave Adam three days to get over whatever was wrong with him, and if he was still upset by then, then Jade would approach him about it.  
Until then, it was going to be very quiet in their office.  
Wednesday was equally rough, but Jade just stuck it out. He went to lunch with Hunter but didn't even mention Adam once. Hunter knew something strange was happening, but he didn't say anything. He knew that Jade would come to him in time, if he needed to vent about it.  
Thursday was not going as well. Jade managed to get through half the day without acknowledging Adam, but by three o'clock, Jade had had enough. He stood up and marched to Adam's office. He knocked on the door and when Adam responded, he swung the door open and glared at Adam.  
"I'm really sick of this bullshit, Adam. You're moping around this office like a teenage girl who wasn't asked to the prom. If you're mad at me, at least do me the favor of telling me why. Like I've said before, I don't read minds. If there's something you want me to fix or apologize for, I'll be more than happy to do it if you just tell me what it is." Jade said evenly.  
Adam looked up, blinking several times before responding. "I'm not mad, but consider this your second warning: You really need to watch what you say and who you're saying it to. Don't forget who signs your paycheck."  
Jade felt like someone had knocked the wind out of him. Adam hadn't spoken to him like that in a very long time. And it stung. He hadn't seen Adam smile since the Sunday they got back from their trip, and something told Jade that a dark cloud was settling over their office and he was powerless to stop the storm that was brewing.  
The look that crossed Jade's face made Adam wince. It felt like something had an iron grip on his heart, and what he really wanted was to kiss Jade softly and apologize, but he sat in his chair and gave Jade a stern glare.  
Jade nodded. "I won't forget, sir."  
That last word was laced with a venom that felt like it could kill Adam. Jade slipped out of the office quietly, and when Jade was gone Adam felt like he had taken another piece of him with him.  
The days bled into weeks and it was quite obvious to everyone that Jade was no longer the favorite. When something went wrong, Jade was pulled into Adam's office and read the riot act. Jade, for his part, took it all without so much as a complaint. He knew he was being punished for something, but he never knew what. Just when he thought he had the Adam puzzle figured out, it grew to a larger scale, and the pieces that he thought were perfectly in place, now looked like they were awkwardly shoved there just because they were similar to the pieces that should fit.  
Jade had finished up a conference call with several of their out of state clients and had managed to close a brand new account that would easily be worth several millions. He was proud of himself, and stood up to give Adam the good news.  
He tapped on Adam's door, swinging it open when he was told to enter.  
"You'll never believe this. I just landed a new account with Lucas productions."  
Adam's head snapped up. This was an account he'd been trying to get for at least the past three years, and Jade had finally managed to solidify it for him. He held in his smile, and resisted the urge to jump up and grab Jade, squeezing him until he could barely breathe.  
"Okay."  
"That's it? 'Okay'?" Jade questioned. "It's a multimillion dollar account and all you can say is 'okay'?"  
"Great?"  
Jade shook his head. "I'm trying really hard, here. I'm working my ass off for you, and at some point, it used to be worth it. I'm taking my lunch, now, and I'm taking Hunter with me. I'll be back in an hour, and I'll have the paperwork for the new account ready by the end of the day."  
Jade walked out of the office, walked through his own, and out into the main office. He smiled at Amy, and then went into Ashley's office, greeting her warmly. He walked into Hunter's office, and when Hunter looked up, he spoke.  
"We're going to lunch, and we're going right now." Jade demanded.  
Hunter frowned and stood up. He saw what Adam was doing to Jade, and it made no sense to him, either. All he knew is that it was wearing Jade down, and making him unhappy.  
The pair walked down the street and into the Thai place on the corner. They sat down at a table and ordered their food before Hunter even said a word.  
"I heard you landed the Lucas account."  
Jade scoffed, and then looked at Hunter curiously. "Where did you hear that?"  
"Adam told me. Well, he sent me a very excited email."  
"He was excited? Sure as hell didn't seem that way to me. God, he's such a fucking jerk."  
Hunter cringed. "Yeah. He's being pretty tough on you these days."  
"No. He's making my life a living hell. I once forgot to put two spaces after a period before starting a new sentence in a Thank You letter I was sending out for him, and he pulled me into his office and screamed at me for ten whole minutes about how I was an embarrassment. How I should have learned that in grade school, and how the hell did I manage to even make it through Grad School if I couldn't remember to do one simple thing. And that was one of the better times."  
Hunter shook his head. "What did you do to him?"  
"That's the thing! I don't know what I did to him. Obviously I pissed him off in a horrible way, but he won't tell me what I did." Jade said baffled.  
"That's strange. That's really strange because he hasn't been mean to anyone else in the office."  
Jade's eyes widened. "Unfair!"  
Hunter laughed. "Oh please. He treated you like the golden boy for months. You were his pet, and I totally would have been jealous if it wasn't for the fact that you being around him puts him in a great mood. I get the residual effects of that, and it's awesome. But he had you on a pedestal. I think you still are there because look." He fished out his Blackberry, fussed with it for a minute, and then handed it to Jade.  
Jade looked at it and then read it out loud, anger filling his voice. "Hey, you'll never believe it, Jade landed the Lucas account. When he told me, I was so excited that I almost kissed him. I feel like I could cry tears of joy. I just had to tell you because you and I had been working on that for so long and he finally did it. God, I'm so proud of him right now."  
Jade was seething as he slid Hunter's Blackberry across the table. "Do you know what he said to me when I told him? 'Okay'. He just said 'okay'. Not congratulations, not a thank you, nothing. Do you know how hard I worked for that?"  
"Yes, actually. He and I were working that hard for it, too. But you managed to land it. You know, when I talk to him, he never says anything bad about you. He never says you're incompetent, or a waste of human flesh, or that he's going to fire you. Quite the opposite, really. He only ever speaks highly of you."  
"Well, he obviously doesn't think too highly of me, anymore. He's been cruel to me for the past three weeks. Since we got back."  
"Was he mean to you on the trip?"  
"No! He was really, really sweet. Now he's just a Monster of Doom."  
The waitress came with their food, and they started eating. After several minutes of silence, Hunter had to ask what had been nagging at him since he discovered that Adam was being mean to Jade again.  
"Does that mean you don't have the hots for him anymore?"  
Jade looked up from his Kung Pao Tofu and glared. "If only life was that simple. Of _course_ I still have the hots for him. Which makes it that much worse. I wish I didn't because it would make everything so much easier."  
"How so?"  
"When an employer treats you like shit, you quit. You give your letter of resignation and move on to someone who won't treat you that way. When it's someone you have a rapport with, someone you know relatively well and out of nowhere they start treating you like shit, you stick it out. Because you feel obligated not to abandon them based on principle. And I know you can agree with me completely."  
Hunter nodded. "He did the same thing to me, and I couldn't bring myself to quit. Everyone else either transferred or left, but I didn't. And now I have a great office and don't have to see him as much, so it all works out."  
"He told me about that, actually. He said if he was ever truly sorry about anything, it was for the way he treated you all that time. He said he never thanked you for standing by him when no one else did."  
Hunter laughed. "No, he never did thank me. I know he's grateful, though. Did he actually say that to you?"  
"Yep. Hard to believe, I know."  
"He's a mystery." Hunter said.  
"Indeed."  
The following week, Jade was miserably typing away at a bunch of notes that Adam needed sent out yesterday, that Jade was apparently too slow to finish in an hour. Adam made a point of telling him this at least twelve times. His phone rang, and he was glad for the distraction.  
"This is Jade." He said in a monotone.  
"Hi, pookie." Came the smooth voice.  
"Is this who I think it is?" Jade said with a smile.  
"Well, who do you think it is?"  
"James Dean."  
"He's dead."  
"So you can imagine my surprise."  
Davey laughed. "Jade, I enjoy you so very much."  
"I enjoy you, too, Davey, my dear. To what to I owe the pleasure of hearing your gorgeous voice this afternoon?"  
"I have an event. And your services will be required."  
"I'm all yours."  
"There are a whole bunch of things I'm going to need, and this is something I'd really rather do in person, but there's no way I'm coming to your office. I don't want to run into old what's his face. He wouldn't happen to be out of town, would he?"  
"Unfortunately, no. He's in his office."  
"Then can you meet me at my studio in an hour or so? Will he unchain you from your desk for that long?"  
"If it's work related, then I suppose I can get a day pass from this asylum."  
"Great. My studio. One hour."  
"I'll see you then."  
"I'll be eagerly anticipating your arrival."  
Jade hung up the phone and began typing away quickly. He wanted to get these finished so that Adam didn't have a single thing to complain about when he left. It took him no more than twenty minutes to finish his task, and when he did, he went straight to Adam's office.  
"Yes?" Adam called from inside.  
Jade opened the door and walked right up to Adam's desk, setting the three hundred some odd letters down in front of him. He didn't even look at Adam when he spoke.  
"These are finished. I have a meeting with Davey at his studio in a little bit, so I have to leave. That is, of course, if that's all right with you."  
"Fine by me." Adam grumbled. "Since when are you handling his events?"  
"Probably since he decided that he didn't want you to do it anymore. You can't blame him for that, really."  
"You have a real crappy attitude these days, and I can't say I like it very much."  
"Is there _anything_ you like very much?" Jade retorted. "If you need anything, or I've done something _else_ wrong that you need to chastise me for, please, by all means, send me an email and I'll get right back to you with my groveling apology."  
Adam looked up. "That is the crappy attitude I'm talking about. I've had enough of your snide remarks."  
"Then write me up for it." Jade countered, meeting Adam's eyes that still, truth be told, made him weak in the knees. However, he had learned to suppress that reaction.  
Adam waved him off. "Get out of my sight before I decide to."  
Jade turned around and headed out, but not before getting the last word in. "My pleasure."  
Jade ran into Hunter on his way out, and Hunter stopped him, grabbing him by the arm. "You all right?"  
"No, I'm not all right. Every time I look at Adam, I kind of want to punch him. Then he opens his mouth, and then I want to punch him _and_ strangle him within an inch of his life. Is that bad?"  
Hunter laughed, giving Jade a pat on the shoulder. "Nope. Sounds about right."  
Jade couldn't help the smile that spread across his face, and eventually, he, too, laughed. "Hunter. I love you. I do."  
"I'm a loveable guy."  
Both Hunter and Jade turned around when they heard Adam's voice from the doorway. "Jade, weren't you leaving?"  
Jade looked at Hunter and rolled his eyes, leaving the office without another word. Hunter looked at Adam, who had an innocent look on his face.  
"What?"  
Hunter shook his head disapprovingly and went to the office kitchen. Knowing Adam could still hear him, he spoke. "You have no reason to treat him like that."  
Adam was standing right next to Hunter, and when he looked up, Adam's eyes were weighed with an immeasurable sadness. He looked like he was aging right before Hunter's very eyes, and he knew that something was troubling Adam heavily. Hunter almost felt sorry for him. Almost.  
"Everything I do has a reason."  
Hunter picked up his glass, and turned to face Adam fully. He didn't say anything, but put his hand on Adam's arm, squeezing it gently. For the first time in nearly a month, Adam smiled. It was weary and thin, but it was a smile nonetheless. Hunter smiled softly and patted Adam's arm before retreating to his office.  
Jade walked into Davey's studio at three on the nose to find Davey surrounded by beautiful, beautiful men. Jade's jaw nearly hit the floor as he looked around the room. Every single one of them was wearing nothing but a pair of black boxer-briefs. Jade looked at Davey who smiled and left his boys to run up to Jade and give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.  
"Amazing, aren't they?" Davey whispered into his ear.  
"Yes." Was all Jade could manage to get out.  
Davey slid his arm around Jade's waist and turned to face the ten Adonis' that were crowded together. "Thank you, Gentlemen. I'll see you all on Thursday at the Kodak for the final rehearsal."  
The beautiful men all said their goodbyes, and when they left, Davey pulled Jade over to a table that was set up by the makeshift runway.  
"Tell me, Jade. How have you been?" Davey asked, sitting down and waiting for Jade to follow.  
"I'm doing well. How are you?"  
"Fantastic."  
"More importantly, are you doing any of those super hot men? Oh my God. Could they have been any more stunning?"  
Davey grinned widely. "I plan on doing the tall, tan-ish one with the dark hair. He doesn't know it yet."  
Jade smiled. "I approve. I definitely approve."  
"Oh, Jade. How I've missed you."  
"I've missed you, too. I haven't seen you in so long. You know, you can call me even when it isn't business related."  
"I know. It's just...promise you won't hate me."  
"I really don't think it's possible for me to hate you."  
"I thought, I mean, I honestly thought that Adam didn't want to see me anymore because of you."  
Jade felt his stomach twist in knots. "Me?"  
"Yes, you. I saw the way he leered at you from across the room. I saw the way he treated you like you were made of glass. I was jealous from the beginning. When I first met you, and saw exactly how attractive you are, I knew why he talked about you the way he did. He was always so gentle and kind to you. He never treated me that way. He never treated _anyone_ that way. I knew it was never your fault and I never blamed you for any of it for a second. All you had to do was look at him when he was talking about you. It was easy for me to tell. After he ended it, I just thought that you two would be together. Obviously, I was wrong about that last part, but I know I'm not wrong about anything else. He's just Adam, and when it comes to relationships, he's an imbecile. How is our dear man, by the way?"  
"A raging tyrant, as usual." Jade said. He felt like his words were shaky, but he knew they weren't. "Being the biggest asshole ever created."  
"Good. So he's acting normally. Fantastic. He's going to be at my event. But you're going to make sure he's there, not me."  
Jade snorted. "You're probably on better terms with him than I am, but I'll make sure he shows up."  
"You're an angel." Davey said, reaching across the table and covering Jade's hand with his own. "Now, for business."  
Jade and Davey spent the rest of their visit talking logistics, and Jade promised to cater to Davey's every whim. By the time Jade was leaving, he had already secured every magazine's presence at the event, which made Davey shine with glee. The party was scheduled for one week from Wednesday, and Jade knew that he had plenty of time. When he got back to the office, he detailed the event to Adam, who begrudgingly agreed to attend.  
The night of the party, Jade arrived on Davey's arm, which earned him a glare from Adam, by all rights. Jade didn't know what possessed him to be so cruel, but he made a show out of being Davey's date for the evening. Davey, of course, was all for the idea, reveling in the dirty looks that were being thrown their way.  
While standing on the red carpet, Davey leaned in and whispered to Jade. "Can you feel Adam looking at us?"  
Jade smiled, leaning closer to Davey. "It feels like a thousand daggers."  
Davey threw his head back and laughed then looked over at Jade, who smiled serenely. Davey leaned forward and crashed his lips to Jade's kissing him sweetly. Jade laughed after they pulled apart, knowing the kiss was only for the cameras. And for Adam. When he looked up, he met Adam's eyes from across the room. Adam looked like he had just been gutted, and suddenly, Jade felt that their show wasn't so fun anymore.  
He pulled away from Davey, who let him go easily, and made his way over to where Adam was standing.  
"Adam, I - "  
"It looks like you have everything under control." Adam said softly. There wasn't even a hint of malice in his words, which was a far cry from how he usually spoke to Jade. "I'm going to head out. I have a headache."  
"Adam." Jade said, reaching out and grabbing Adam's arm. Adam pulled away from Jade, shaking himself from his grip.  
"It's fine. I just need to go home. I'll see you tomorrow." Adam said, never once even making eye contact with Jade.  
"Goodnight."  
Jade felt disgustingly low. He knew that by kissing Davey, he had done something detrimental to his shaky and all too fragile partnership with Adam. He knew that there would be hell to pay, eventually.  
Jade walked the party, making himself seen as much as possible. Occasionally he would find himself at Davey's side again, but now that Adam was gone, neither he nor Davey had the desire to make such a display of things.  
When Jade woke up the next morning, he had half a mind to call in sick. He didn't want to face Adam. He didn't want to see the disappointment in his eyes. And if it wasn't disappointment he saw, it would be furious anger. He did manage to pull himself out of bed and get to work, but instead of getting there early, like he usually did, he slid right into his chair at nine on the dot.  
Adam was already hard at work when Jade arrived, and he was glad for this. He managed to escape seeing him for almost two hours, until he came out of his office with a stack of what looked like newspapers. Jade briefly wondered if Adam was going to roll them up and smack him on the nose with them like a dog.  
"I have something for you." Adam said shortly.  
"Really?"  
Adam slammed the stack of what Jade now saw were tabloids onto Jade's desk. Jade's eyes widened and he looked at Adam. He looked back down at the tabloids and began sifting through them. He counted four of them, all with the same picture on the cover: Jade with his lips firmly sealed to Davey's. Jade stared harder and then looked back up at Adam again, not knowing what to say.  
"I picked them up for you on the way back from Starbucks this morning."  
Jade sat speechlessly. He knew that whatever he said would be the wrong thing. He stayed quiet and decided that whatever Adam had to say, he deserved to have to suffer through. Not only did he kiss Adam's ex right in front of him, it was now in print.  
"You don't have anything to say about that?" Adam prodded.  
Jade shook his head. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done that to you."  
"You shouldn't have done that to _me_?" Adam cried, his anger pouring out. "This isn't about me, Jade. This is about you. What the hell were you thinking? Are you a fucking idiot? How could you do this? Now everyone in the whole fucking world knows that you're banging the playboy designer from Dolce and Gabbana. Congratulations, Jade. You've made a mockery of your entire career. I understand this is Hollywood. I understand that everyone here is petty and shallow and screwing everyone else, but you need to learn discretion. You can't flaunt every one of your conquests in front of every camera that flashes in your direction."  
"But Davey and I aren't– "  
"Do I fucking sound finished to you?" Adam yelled. "I've given you every tool you need to make a respectable PR agent out of yourself, and you've thrown them all back in my face. You're turning out to be nothing but a complete waste of my time and energy. You're fucking worthless to me."  
Jade swallowed hard. Of all of the things that Adam had said, hearing that he was worthless was by far the most hurtful.  
"And what's worse is that I had faith in you. I had faith that you would be something great. But looking at this," Adam continued, gesturing to the stack of magazines. "Is just further proof that you can never become anything but someone's assistant. Without me to hold your hand every step of the way, you have no idea what the hell you're doing. You're nothing."  
"I'm so sorry."  
"Apologies are just words." Adam said, his voice cracking subtly at the end.  
Jade nodded. He was expecting Adam to tell him to pack up his stuff and get out of his sight, but he didn't. He just stood in front of Jade and shook his head.  
"Go somewhere. Go to lunch. I need you out of here. Take an hour and a half. Hell, take two. When you come back, I'll have an assignment waiting for you on your desk. I don't even want to see you right now." Adam turned on his heel and went back into his office.  
Jade stood up. His legs felt shaky and his heart was pounding rapidly in his chest. He left his office, and when he walked past Amy, she gave him a sympathetic smile. When he saw Ashley, she did the same. He went right into Hunter's office, and Hunter, who was on the phone, immediately ended his conversation, telling whoever he was talking to that something very important had just come up.  
Hunter stood, walked over to Jade, and hugged him. Jade held onto Hunter tightly and Hunter rubbed his back soothingly.  
"It's all right." Hunter said calmly. "It's going to be fine."  
Jade pulled back and looked at Hunter. He shook his head. "I don't think so. Not this time."  
"Do you want to go? I can leave right now. I don't need to be here."  
Jade nodded, and Hunter walked them out of his office. He told Ashley that he would be back whenever he got back, and had Amy take all of his messages. He also said that if Adam asked for him, to tell him that he and Jade would be busy plotting his death.  
Hunter took Jade down to the parking structure, and they got into Hunter's car, driving down the boulevard in search of really good food. Because really good food makes everything better. They ended up finding themselves at Domiano's Pizza on Hollywood and LaBrea. Hunter order them one medium vegan pizza and set it down in front of Jade.  
Jade looked at the pizza and then looked at Hunter.  
"I'm too nauseous to eat. I think if I do, I'm going to throw up everywhere. It's not going to be pretty."  
Hunter frowned. If it was bad enough to cause Jade to lose his appetite, then it must have been very, very bad.  
"What happened? All I heard was Adam's muffled yelling and you not yelling back." Hunter said, picking up a slice and beginning to eat.  
"The Dolce and Gabbana thing last night? Yeah. There's a picture of me kissing Davey on the cover of about four tabloids. Adam was nice enough to show them to me."  
"I saw that." Hunter said with a nod. "I didn't think anything of it, though. I mean, it's _Davey_. Who isn't screwing Davey?"  
"I'm not!" Jade declared vehemently.  
"I know you're not. Which is why I didn't ask you about it earlier. I saw them on the newsstand by Starbucks."  
"Adam said that because of that, I'm making a mockery of my entire career."  
Hunter frowned. "What? It's not that big of a deal. All press is good press as long as no one's leaking any personal information. So you kissed him. So what?"  
"Then he said that I'm a waste of his time and energy. I'm worthless. I'm not going anywhere in life, and that I'm nothing."  
Hunter's jaw dropped. "He _said_ that to you?"  
"Yep. Only with a lot more words and a lot more yelling. And it sounded so much meaner coming out of his mouth."  
"It sounds mean enough coming out of yours. Wow. He must have been really pissed. But what I don't get is why. Why would he care so much? I've fucked up royally in my time, but he never once said anything so hurtful to me. He'd just sort of tell me I was being an idiot and move on."  
"I think I'm going to quit." Jade said resignedly. "I don't have a choice. I can't work with him. I can't work around him. I can't be near him knowing he thinks that of me."  
Hunter shook his head. "No, you can't quit. You just can't. If you work for a year for this company, if you stick it out for just that long, then you can get a job anywhere. You can take your experience to any other firm and be a partner there. Just hang on."  
"Then I want to transfer. I'll move. I don't care."  
"Don't do it. It'll blow over."  
"You didn't see him, though." Jade said, looking up. "He was so angry with me. I tried to apologize right after it happened, and I tried to apologize today, but all he said was that apologies are just words."  
"He saw that happen? What did he say then?"  
"Just that he had to go home because he had a headache. He was lying, though. I saw the look on his face. It looked like someone had stabbed him in the throat. I'll never forget it."  
Hunter sat quietly and smiled when Jade picked up a slice of pizza and started eating. His eyes widened as realization dawned on him.  
"He's not mad at you for having that picture all over the tabloids. He's mad at you for sliding lips with Davey. Seeing the tabloid just gave him a reason to yell at you about it."  
It made sense to Jade, but he still had to question it. "Why would he care so much? He didn't care about Davey, and quite obviously doesn't give a shit about me."  
"I wouldn't say that. Despite what he says to you, he still thinks the sun shines out of your ass. Whether he's mad about you kissing his ex, or just the fact that someone else was kissing you, I really can't be sure. But that has to be it. That has to be. There's no other explanation for it."  
Jade tossed the crust onto his plate and picked up another slice, beginning to devour that.  
"You know why this bugs you so much? Because you love him."  
Jade snorted. "I don't love him."  
"I think you do, you're just not sure, yet."  
"What idiot could possibly love that beast?" Jade said defensively.  
"You could."  
"Yeah. Right."  
"I think you really should sit down and talk to him."  
"If he ever gives me the chance." Jade said, dropping his second crust onto his plate.  
"Just be all cute and pouty. He won't be able to resist. I promise."  
Jade looked up, the wheels turning in his head. "You know what? I think I will."


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter Eight: The Seduction**__  
I think you know me well; you know you want it._

Jade went into work on Friday, determined to look as utterly pathetic as humanly possible. He didn't try to talk to Adam, he didn't even roll his eyes or reply to any of his savage remarks. He did all of his work quickly and efficiently, and when Adam was walking out of the office around six, Jade was still working.  
Adam stopped, ready to tell Jade to go home, but he continued walking.  
"Goodnight, Adam." Jade said meekly.  
Adam grunted a response and left. Jade continued working for about an hour before going home, as well. When he got to his apartment, he made himself some dinner, and then set about cleaning everything up. He made sure that all of the stray items were well hidden, and everything else he had no place for, were simply tossed into his bedroom. He cleaned up his dishes from dinner and took the trash out. By the time he was finished with everything, it was almost ten.  
He picked up his Blackberry, went to the email option and selected 'New Email'.  
_Look, Adam, I know you're very upset with me and I'm sure I deserve it, but it's very important that I talk to you. I'd really rather not do this over the phone, and this is something that absolutely cannot wait until Monday. I'm at home, and you know where that is.  
Please. I'm begging._  
Jade hit the send button and set his Blackberry down. All he wanted to do was get Adam alone so he could talk to him. If he could just make that one thing happen, then half the battle was won. He knew this couldn't be done at work where there were ten thousand distractions, and doing things over the phone was so impersonal.  
Almost fifteen minutes later, Jade's Blackberry vibrated, signaling Adam's reply.  
_I'm on my way.  
This better be life or fucking death._  
Jade smiled and knew that he would finally have the upper hand. Twenty minutes later, there was a knock at his door. When he opened it, Adam was standing before him, wearing a zip-up hoodie, slim fitting jeans, and his trusty, old converse. Jade thought he had never looked better.  
"You have ten minutes." Adam said pushing past Jade and walking into the apartment. Adam looked around, taking in Jade's humble living space while Jade locked the door behind him. No wonder Jade had been so impressed by Adam's apartment.  
"That's all I need. Thank you." Jade said, relief evident in his tone.  
Adam turned around, crossing his arms over his chest and looking steadily at Jade.  
"Do you want to sit?"  
"No."  
Jade sighed. "Whatever I did, whatever I'm doing, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I just need to know what it is. Please, I think you owe me that."  
"I don't owe you a thing."  
"But you do. You've been treating me like shit for the past month and a half and I don't know why. Adam, you're making me so miserable that I can hardly stand to get up in the morning. I don't know if you care or not anymore, but I can't do this. If you don't tell me what I've done wrong, I'll never know how to fix it."  
"You can't fix it."  
"Won't you let me try?" Jade pleaded.  
Adam didn't respond, just looked at his watch.  
"Don't do this, Adam. Please don't do this. This isn't you. This isn't who you are. You're not like this. You don't want to be this. I know you don't. You told me that." Jade said rapidly. He took a breath and slowed himself down. "You're treating me like this because of something I said or did on a personal level, not because I'm a bad employee. I know that, now, but it just makes it that much harder to work for you. Yesterday, after you said I was worthless to you, I was ready to quit."  
Adam blinked slowly an unreadable emotion crossing his face. "If you wanted me here to give me your resignation, then so be it."  
Adam dropped his arms and walked forward, ready to walk out of Jade's apartment, but Jade stopped him by placing one hand on Adam's chest. Beneath his fingers he could feel Adam's racing heart, beating wildly out of control. Jade looked at his hand, and then looked at Adam. By just that look, Adam knew that his cover was blown. He stepped back, breaking the contact.  
"No." Jade said gently. "I'm not going to quit. I just want to know why you're doing this."  
Adam closed his eyes and lowered his head. Jade gasped audibly and the realization hit him like a truck.  
"It almost worked." Jade's voice was calm and knowing. "Almost."  
"What did?" Adam asked.  
"Why are you so afraid of me?"  
"I'm not afraid of you."  
"You're scared to death of something. You think by pushing me away that you're going to solve all of your problems? You're dealing with people's emotions – yours and mine. Life isn't a game. It's not something that can be plotted and calculated. You have to take risks. There's no winning and there's no losing. All you can do is hope for the best, and when that doesn't happen, you learn from it."  
"I don't want to take risks anymore." Adam admitted. He was done. Jade had finally figured it out, and if he was going to hurt him, then now would be the time he did it. He was prepared for the worst, and not hoping for the best. He was just hoping to make it home in one piece.  
"Then you never should have said anything to me." Jade said sadly.  
Adam looked into Jade's eyes, and felt his walls start to crumble. "I couldn't help it. You don't ever realize what it's like to be near you, do you? You're so smart, and you're so funny and everyone loves being around you. Everyone. That's why you're so good at your job. You just sort of suck people into your world with a bashful smile and a blush. And I know you. I know it's not an act. You really are like that. I couldn't help but be sucked in, too. And trust me, before you came along to destroy everything, I was perfectly content with my miserable little existence."  
Jade scoffed. "Wow. Sorry for making you happy."  
Adam clasped his hands awkwardly in front of him, trying so hard not to reach out to Jade. "I never wanted it like this."  
"Well, it is." Jade said flatly. "We either build on it, or work around it, but we can't ignore it."  
"I don't know what I want."  
"No. You never do."  
Adam frowned, crossing his arms over his chest defensively. "The same can be said for you."  
"What?"  
Adam's eyes took on an angry, wicked glint. "Was it good?"  
"Was what good?" Jade asked, furrowing his eyebrows.  
"Since we're not talking business, and it's obvious that we only have personal issues, why not bring it all up now, since you already have me out of bed."  
"I don't get what you mean."  
"Davey. Was it good? Did you enjoy kissing him? Did he taste like vanilla? Or was it strawberry?"  
"Adam..."  
"Oh no, no. I want to know. Did it make you feel good? Did you enjoy _ripping my heart out_ for everyone to see?" Adam said with a sneer.  
"That part wasn't too fun, no."  
"Do you know how badly that hurt, Jade?"  
"The fact that I kissed your ex?" Jade questioned, needing to hear Adam himself say it.  
"Who the hell cares about Davey? No. You just wanted me to have to see you up there looking so amazing, and so happy to be kissing anyone who wasn't me. You knew what you were doing and you knew what it would do to me."  
"Oh, yeah. Because you're being so deserving of my affection, these days. The whole point of you being a dick was to make me hate you, wasn't it? You have no right to be jealous or upset about anything. Wasn't that what you wanted?"  
When Adam remained silent, Jade continued. "Do you really expect for me to wait around for you? You've made it obvious that you're not going to be readily available anytime soon. Should I just live with that? Assuming that you even want me."  
"Oh please. Everyone fucking knows it. It's not a secret. I'm sure Hunter's told you at least ten times. If not Hunter, then Davey."  
"How did this happen? I usually pride myself on picking the right guys to be attracted to. But this time I had to find the most complicated asshole around with so much baggage he needs a U-Haul to tow it around." Jade griped.  
"Yeah, you're one to talk. At least I didn't rip your heart out in front of hundreds of people and then let it be plastered all over every tabloid in the greater Los Angeles Area."  
"No, you just belittled me on a daily basis until the only way I could get back at you for it was to do exactly what I did."  
"You had to kiss him on the lips. Had to. Just to rub it in my face that I've never been given the chance."  
"Oh, God. Here we go with the kiss again. You were given the chance, you jerk. You were given plenty of chances, you were just too chickenshit to take them."  
"Okay. Maybe there was one time. But I was sort of with someone else. And I would never stab someone in the back. And then the person I didn't stab in the back, is the same person you fucking kiss. On the lips."  
"Jesus Christ." Jade said, taking two steps towards Adam, placing both of his hands on Adam's stubble covered cheeks and kissing him chastely. He held that position for a few seconds before pulling back. "There."  
Adam licked his lips, silenced by Jade's move. Jade just stood there, still a little too upset with Adam to actually have enjoyed it. Adam licked his lips again, and then looked at Jade. Jade opened his mouth to continue their banter, but Adam closed the distance again, wrapped his arms around Jade and kissed him hard.  
Jade was startled by this, but melted into Adam easily. Adam pulled Jade's slim body closer, closing his eyes. Jade let one of his hands slide around Adam's back and the other went into his hair. The dark, shaggy curls slid through his fingers and he opened his mouth, meeting Adam's wandering tongue.  
If Jade thought Adam's smile was paralyzing, then his kiss could certainly kill him.  
Jade was starting to feel lightheaded. Whether it was Adam's kiss, his smell, or the fact that he hadn't taken a deep enough breath for a least a minute, he couldn't be sure. He pulled back, only far enough so that he could look up at Adam.  
"Was it better than Davey?" Adam asked with a smile.  
It was the first time he had seen Adam smile in a very long time. "You have the most amazing smile. And yes, it was much better."  
Adam laughed, pulling Jade to his chest. He kissed Jade on the top of the head. "Thanks. You yourself are pretty amazing."  
"For dealing with you? You bet your ass I am." Jade said, giving the aforementioned ass a firm slap.  
Adam released Jade, holding him at arms length. He leaned forward and kissed him on the nose, and then again on the lips. Jade felt a little sad because he thought that Adam was getting ready to leave, but instead, he moved deeper into the apartment, inspecting all of Jade's belongings. The television was small, and the couch looked well worn. The bookshelf that extended floor to ceiling was filled with books, most of which Adam had heard of, some of which he had read, a few he actually still owned, and a fraction that he had no idea were even in existence. He walked past Jade and through the hall. Through the door on his right was the bathroom, and at the end of the hall, he saw what looked to be a linen closet. There was one more closed door that Adam was just intent on peeking into. When he opened the door, he saw a bed, a dresser, and not much else.  
At least the bed was big enough for two. Adam smiled at this thought. He returned to the living room where Jade was still standing and wrapped his arms around him again. Jade rested his head on Adam's strong chest and sighed contentedly.  
Adam ruffled Jade's hair and kissed the top of his head again. Jade tilted his head up and kissed Adam's jaw, which earned him a small smile and a kiss on his lips. Adam released Jade again and looked at him almost sadly.  
"Isn't it past your bedtime?" Adam asked.  
Jade reached out and took Adam's arm, looking at the watch on his wrist. It was almost quarter past eleven, which meant that it was certainly past his bedtime. "Unfortunately, yes."  
Adam nodded. "Mine, too."  
Neither man made any effort to do anything, so Jade broke the silence. "So sometimes, when I'm getting ready to fall asleep, I hear this crazy noise that sounds like burglars crawling through my window. And sometimes I hear noises that sound like murderers crawling through my window."  
Adam grinned. "I hope the murderers are only out to murder the burglars."  
"Me, too." Jade said. "But I think they're all coming to get me. Granted, it's probably just the refrigerator, because I've discovered that refrigerators tend to make sounds akin to those of burglars and murderers. But it's still rather scary."  
"Huh." Adam said thoughtfully. "It has to suck to live by yourself with that horrible possibility."  
"It does." Jade said.  
"My place has an alarm system. I know that the weird sounds are just the refrigerator."  
"Must be nice to have something to protect you."  
"Hey. I have an idea. Why don't I stay here with you?"  
"I have an extra toothbrush." Jade said walking away, turning off the light in the living room and turning on the light in the bathroom. He pulled out a brand new package of toothbrushes and handed one to Adam.  
"Your mom?" Adam asked, taking a green toothbrush from Jade.  
"She's convinced I'm buying myself the wrong toothbrushes."  
"Mine, too. I think I probably have thirty of them. And more pairs of socks than any one person should have."  
Jade nodded and turned on the water, beginning to brush his teeth. Adam followed his lead, and even though the bathroom was kind of small – Adam had closets bigger than this – it was nice to be sharing this with someone again. It was domestic. Comfortable, even.  
They finished up, and Jade very nervously led Adam to his bedroom. When he turned on the light, he laughed embarrassedly. "Sorry about the mess. I cleaned the living room and stuff because you were coming, and everything that I didn't have time to find a place for, I just tossed in here."  
"You didn't think I'd be in your bedroom?" Adam said with a playful smile.  
Jade shook his head. "Honestly, no. I thought I'd be lucky if you even came inside."  
To make Jade more comfortable, Adam began undressing first. He pulled off his hoodie and dropped it on the floor. He toed off his shoes and socks, leaving them in a pile and then slid his pants off and readjusted his boxers for the sake of decency. He pulled off his shirt, and climbed into Jade's bed, pulling the covers up to his waist. Jade undressed quickly, staying in his boxers as well. He switched off the light and crawled in beside Adam.  
Once Jade was under the covers, and he had the darkness to hide behind, Adam reached out for Jade, taking him into his arms and holding him close. All was quiet until there was a rumbling in the kitchen that sounded like a small stampede.  
"See!"Jade cried, breaking free of Adam's hold, sitting straight up in bed and pointing at the bedroom door. "I told you! I fucking told you! That is what I have to hear every single night as I'm falling asleep!"  
Adam started laughing hysterically, unable to help himself. To be completely honest, the noise was indeed frightening. He would never tell Jade this, though.  
Jade laid back down, turning on his side to face Adam. "Now you know it wasn't just a line to get you into bed with me."  
"I don't think I really needed a line. Just an invitation."  
Jade nuzzled into Adam's chest, trying so hard not to worry about what would happen on Monday, or even in the morning. Right now, Adam was his and there were no other complications to be concerned with.  
"Jade?" Adam said quietly, smoothing his hand down Jade's bare back.  
"Hm?"  
Adam could feel Jade's eyelashes fluttering against his chest and it just served as another reminder that this was all real.  
"I'm sorry."  
Adam's words were heavy and deeply heartfelt. He knew Adam had a lot of things to be sorry for, but he wanted to know for what, specifically.  
"For?"  
"What I said. Yesterday. I was just so angry with you and the minute those words came out of my mouth I regretted saying them. And I don't regret much. You're not nothing. You're not a waste of my time and energy. You're not worthless to me. You're not. It's just that...seeing it in person, and then seeing it in print. You kissed Davey. On the lips."  
"Again with this kiss." Jade said wearily. He leaned up and kissed Adam, silencing him. When he pulled back, he nestled back against Adam.  
"You know I only said that so you'd kiss me again. Right?"  
"I know." Jade replied tiredly. He kissed Adam's chest, as it was the body part that was closest to him. "Goodnight."  
Adam kissed Jade's forehead. "Goodnight."  
Long after Jade had gone to sleep, Adam laid awake thinking. Jade's body was warm and soft against his, and it had been so long since he'd actually spent the night with another person. He never let anyone see him at his most vulnerable, and Jade would. This scared Adam more than he was willing to admit. Jade was worth it, though. He was sure of that. There would be many things to work out. Like what to do about work, and the fact that he was scared to death of relationships, but they'd work it out.  
They had to.  
The next morning, Jade awoke to the sun shining down on him from the window above his bed. Usually, he had the shade pulled down and the curtains closed, but Adam must have opened it. He smiled without opening his eyes. He rolled over and reached out for Adam, but he wasn't there.  
He opened his eyes and looked around the room noticing that Adam's clothes weren't on the floor. He laid there for a few more minutes before rolling out of bed and making his way towards the kitchen. The clock on the microwave told him that it was just after nine, and it was obvious that Adam wasn't in the apartment. He rubbed at his eyes, and smiled when he heard keys jingling in the door.  
The door opened to a very comical sight. Adam was carrying a bag of Styrofoam containers, presumably food, a bag of something else, and was balancing a drink tray with two Starbucks cups in his hand. Another thing Jade noticed, is that Adam wasn't wearing what he had been wearing the night before.  
"Um, help?"  
Jade walked over to Adam, took the drinks from him and closed the door. He set them on the kitchen counter and waited for Adam to set the food down. He wrapped his arms around Adam's waist and hugged him. He then leaned up and kissed him on the lips.  
"Good morning." Adam said sweetly.  
Jade smiled, but pulled away from Adam, walking towards the bathroom. "Gotta pee."  
Adam laughed, and when Jade returned he looked at Adam questioningly. "What do you have for me?"  
"Coffee, pancakes with strawberries and bananas and scrambled tofu, and clothes."  
"You brought me clothes?"  
"No, I brought me clothes." Adam said a little bashfully. "I just want to make sure that you'll be safe here at night, so I went back to my place and got some extra clothes."  
"You're a doll." Jade said, walking past Adam and heading straight for the food. He pulled out all four containers and then looked at Adam bewilderedly. "What are you going to eat?"  
"Ha ha." Adam said, grabbing his coffee and two of the containers.  
Jade picked up the other two and the forks, carrying his coffee in his other hand. They ate breakfast while sitting on the couch watching cartoons, and afterwards, Jade rested his head in Adam's lap while Adam did the crossword puzzle in the newspaper.  
The morning became noon, and noon became late afternoon. By that time, Jade was feeling restless. He and Adam had done nothing but lie around his apartment. He smiled to himself, turning his head in Adam's lap and sliding his hand up Adam's shirt.  
Adam's focus was no longer on the baseball game. Jade had his full, undivided attention.  
"What are you doing there, partner?"  
"Nothing." Jade said, moving so he could kiss Adam's exposed stomach. He shoved Adam's shirt higher, and kept kissing, occasionally letting his tongue poke out to leave little wet trails. He did this for some time until he felt Adam start to get hard. He grinned, sitting up so that he could pull Adam's shirt up over his head. He sat on Adam's lap, sitting as far back as he could so he could kiss Adam's chest. Adam let his head fall back against the couch and he sighed into the air.  
Jade closed his lips around one of Adam's nipples, biting down. Jade laughed at Adam's cry of pain, and simply continued about his business. He kissed up and along Adam's collarbones, kissing the tops of his shoulders. He kissed Adam's throat and neck, all along his jaw line before finally meeting Adam's lips.  
Adam kissed Jade hard, and while Jade was more than welcome to dominate the foreplay, he was going to dominate the kiss. He slid his tongue in and out of Jade's mouth, roughly biting at the corners of his lips. Jade pulled away and moaned, tilting his head back. Adam kissed Jade's neck, bringing his hands down to cup Jade's ass. He squeezed hard, causing Jade to moan and roll his hips into Adam's.  
Jade's hard cock was pressing into Adam's stomach, and at that moment, he could not remember wanting anyone more than he wanted Jade.  
Jade leaned forward resting his head against Adam's shoulder. He was panting hard as he whispered hotly into Adam's ear. "Fuck me. Please."  
Not only was Jade asking for it, he was begging. Adam held tightly to Jade's ass, pulling his body close. Jade, who already had his arms around Adam's neck, held on tightly as Adam stood and carried him to his bedroom. Adam dropped Jade onto the bed, leaning over his body and kissing him roughly. Jade clawed down Adam's back, groaning when Adam pressed his hips down.  
Adam reached into his back pocket, pulling out at least ten condoms and a small bottle of lube. Jade looked at the condoms, and then raised an eyebrow at Adam. Adam shrugged unbuttoning his pants and sliding them off. His boxers hit the floor seconds later, and he reached up to pull Jade's off, glad that he had opted not to get dressed. Jade's cock jutted up gallantly, and Adam did something he very rarely did for anyone, and wrapped his lips around the head.  
Jade cried out in shock. He hadn't really expected Adam to do that, but was so glad that he did. Adam swirled his tongue around and bobbed his head, running his tongue from the base to the tip before pulling back.  
"Now." Jade said sternly.  
Adam ripped open a condom and rolled it on, taking a moment to pump some lube into his hand and cover his cock with it. Jade didn't know how Adam wanted it, but he was willing to do anything he requested.  
"Do you want me on my stomach?" Jade asked.  
Adam shook his head, grabbed one of Jade's legs, and wrapped it around his waist. He positioned himself and slid into Jade without much resistence. Jade shifted his hips a bit before pulling Adam down to kiss him. Adam did this eagerly, kissing Jade deeply. After a moment, Jade broke the kiss and began rocking his hips. Adam took the hint and began thrusting, gently at first, but quickly picking up speed and force.  
Jade cried out loudly, wrapping one of his hands around Adam's forearm. Jade lifted his hips just a little and moaned wantonly. Adam smiled, leaning down to kiss Jade again. With his other hand, Jade reached down and began stroking himself, looking into Adam's eyes as he did this.  
Adam glanced down to see Jade's hand wrapped around that perfect cock and groaned. He thrust harder, and just as Jade started to come, he did, too, chanting Jade's name over and over until he was through.  
Adam collapsed on top of Jade, smearing Jade's cum between their bodies. He kissed Jade again, seeming to be unable to stop doing that. When Adam broke the kiss, he pulled out of Jade and rolled to his side, not yet bothering to get up and dispose of the condom.  
Jade turned to Adam and smiled. Jade's voice was hoarse when he spoke. "Hey. How's it going?"  
For some reason, Adam found this hilarious. When his laughter subsided, he returned Jade's smile. "It's going well, and yourself?"  
"Fan-fucking-tastic." Jade said. "I need a shower."  
Adam nodded solemnly. "Yeah you do. But I wasn't going to mention it."  
Jade rolled his eyes, and then hoisted himself out of bed, walking to his bathroom. He stopped in the hall to call out to Adam. "I'm not the only one here who's sticky and sweaty and covered in cum."  
Adam laughed eventually standing up and following Jade into the bathroom.  
They kept their shower PG-13, and when they were both clean, they got back into Jade's bed. Still naked, of course. The evening, early summer sun was starting to fade, and Jade was lying next to Adam, tracing his fingers over the colorful tattoos.  
"Bunnies and pirates and roses. Oh my."  
"You're a dork." Adam said, lying back and enjoying the cool breeze that was coming in from the window.  
"Here's the plan for the rest of the day: Nap, dinner, sex, sleep. Sound good?"  
"No, you're forgetting something." Adam corrected. "Nap, _sex_, dinner, sex, sleep."  
Jade nodded. "Of course. How could I forget?"  
The rest of their evening went exactly as Adam had planned, and the next morning, Jade awoke with Adam's arms wrapped around his waist. Adam watched as Jade cleaned his apartment, his offer to help being declined, and later that afternoon, a melancholy calm settled over the apartment.  
They were sitting on Jade's couch watching more baseball when Adam turned the television off. Adam tipped Jade's chin up with his finger and kissed him gently. Jade smiled against Adam's lips and moved back, standing up. He reached for Adam, who took Jade's hand and pulled himself up.  
They meandered into Jade's bedroom where they laid on the bed and kissed. Everything was slow, and gentle, and deliberate. Adam's kisses were soft, and almost timid as he lifted Jade's shirt over his head. He ran his hands over Jade's smooth chest, kissing a trail from shoulder to shoulder and then from sternum to belly button. He pulled Jade's pants off easily and while Jade kicked them to the floor, Adam removed his pants, as well.  
Adam was so hard for Jade, but he was determined to take it slow. He rolled Jade onto his side and began kissing the back of his neck and shoulders. Jade purred softly, reaching behind him to run his hand up Adam's thigh. Adam's hands stroked Jade's side as he kissed down the outside of Jade's arm. Jade turned his head and Adam kissed his lips, opening his mouth and letting his tongue slide out to meet Jade's.  
Adam reached around and felt along the edge of the bed, searching for a new condom and lube that had been discarded from their earlier escapade. He tore it open and scooted back a bit placing it onto himself. He was liberal with the lube, as earlier in the day they hadn't been nearly as subdued about everything.  
He lined himself at Jade's entrance and slid in, pausing only to slip his other arm under Jade's body. Adam pulled Jade back so that he was flush against his chest and began rocking his hips. Jade closed his eyes tilting his head back and sighing. Adam placed one of his hands on Jade's lower stomach and Jade moved his hand so that he was grabbing Adam's ass.  
Adam's thrusts were long and deep, and just by the tight feel of the muscles in Jade's stomach, he knew he was close. He moved his hand and started stroking him in time with his thrusts. Jade's fingers dug into the back of Adam's thigh, and the only sound he made when he came was a soft gasp. Adam stilled, pressing his lips to Jade's shoulder as he came.  
It was a slow orgasm that worked its way through his entire body and when it was over, left him feeling exhausted. His breathing evened out, and even when he got his strength back, he still remained inside of Jade. After long moments and even longer kisses, Adam pulled out, going into the bathroom to dispose of the condom and wash up.  
When he returned, Jade was lying on his back staring up at the ceiling. Adam crawled in next to him and rested his head on Jade's stomach. Jade threaded his fingers through Adam's hair and massaged his scalp. Adam closed his eyes and simply enjoyed the feel of Jade's hands on him.  
"You know," Jade began, his voice a little scratchy. "You're really good in bed."  
Adam's laugh was choked and unexpected. "And you really suck at the whole pillow talk thing."  
Jade shrugged. "Would you rather me ask what you're thinking about? Because it's a stupid question, and it's relatively safe to say that I don't care to hear what you're thinking about right now, but I'll ask it if you want me to."  
Adam shook his head. "No, it's fine."  
"I always thought it's nice to hear when you're good in bed, but apparently you don't like hearing that." Jade continued. "I don't even have to be lying here with you. I could be out in the living room playing video games. Would you rather me do that?"  
Adam looked up and smiled at Jade. Jade closed his mouth and smiled back, running the back of his hand across Adam's stubble. Which was really close to becoming a beard at that point, since he hadn't shaved in three days.  
"I like when you're scruffy. It works for you. It doesn't work for everyone, but it works for you.

Like the woman at the newsstand? Doesn't work for her."  
Adam laughed, turning his head a bit so he could kiss Jade's stomach. He was glad Jade didn't ask what he was thinking, because he didn't want to tell him. All he was thinking of was how he and Jade should quit their jobs and go into hiding. Just go live in a place where they didn't need money, or food, or any of the other life necessities. Their weekend had been perfect, but as all great things do, it had to end. He had to go home tonight and shave. Sleep in his own bed, and wear his own clothes, leave from his own apartment, and drive his own car to work. Where he had to pretend that Jade was just his assistant again.  
But why did it have to be such a big deal? He was the boss. He was the one who made the rules. He should change them. Part of him wanted to do just that. Part of him wanted to make a rule that stated that everyone who sets foot in the office needs to bow to Jade's every whim and worship him the way Adam does.  
Then another part of him loved those rules, because if everything got too scary for him, at least he had something concrete to hide behind. His mind was a mess, and it was so hard to think clearly when Jade's soft hands were running through his hair, and when all he could see and touch and taste and smell and _feel_ was Jade.  
Jade knew what Adam was thinking. He could see his thoughts as though they were written words on his face. Still, he made no mention of it. Adam would figure things out for himself on his own time.  
"When are you leaving?" Jade asked quietly.  
"Not for a few more hours."  
He wanted to ask Adam to stay – just one more night – but he didn't. Instead, he just laid there, knowing that after Adam left, and when they got into work in the morning, their game would be played at a whole new level.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter Nine: Dinner With A Gypsy**__  
There has to be a closer country where love can live near me._

Jade sat down at his desk on Monday morning with an uneasy feeling in his stomach. He distracted himself by checking emails and such, and at five minutes past nine, Adam rushed into the office. He hesitated a moment before stopping and turning towards Jade.  
"Hi." Adam said, fumbling awkwardly with the keys in his hand.  
Jade turned around and smiled brilliantly. "Hello."  
When Jade said nothing else, Adam went into his office. He felt like his pants didn't fit right, and his shirt was too small, his shoes were on the wrong feet and he was convinced there was a hole in his sock. Everything felt so wrong and out of place and then there was Jade. He couldn't sleep the night before because he couldn't stop thinking about him.  
Adam sat at his desk and looked around. He felt so lost. He started by turning on his computer and starting to check his emails. Twenty minutes later, he realized he hadn't gotten through the first two sentences of the first email he opened.  
The knock on his door was a welcome distraction.  
"Come in."  
Jade walked into the office looking calm, and collected, and Adam resented him for this. He looked refreshed and well rested, much the opposite of the train wreck that Adam felt like.  
"You have a meeting with Sophie from the Nashville office at ten. She's here on business and may need your help. This is all of the information I have on her client, and the event she's representing." Jade said, placing a neatly stapled report on Adam's desk and sliding it in front of him. He flipped through the pages, pointing out the important notes. "The client's history, prior firms, last shows. It's all here."  
Adam had somehow lost himself in the smooth depth of Jade's voice and found that it took him just a moment to process what Jade was telling him. He nodded. "Thanks. Thank you. I forgot that I had that today."  
Jade, who was still leaning in front of Adam, looked up, their faces inches apart. "You're welcome. And don't worry about it. You pay me to remember the things you don't."  
Adam could feel Jade's breath on his lips and this sent a chill down his spine. He wanted to lean forward and kiss Jade, but he didn't. Instead, he nodded.  
"I guess so."  
Jade leaned back, standing upright. Disappointment flashed across his face briefly, but was gone almost instantly. Adam saw this, though, and he knew it was his fault. If Jade wanted something else from him, all he had to do was say it. Jade had all of the control now, and Adam felt like a pawn – limited in his directions, but willing to go there, anyway.  
"Yeah. Well. That's it, then."  
Jade turned his back on Adam, and Adam knew that this was the point he should say something. Anything to let Jade know that he was in the forefront of his mind, but when he opened his mouth, nothing came out. Jade shut the door gently, and Adam felt like kicking himself. He didn't know what the protocol for this type of situation was. He wished that he could go to the policies page on their company intranet and just magically find the 'so you've just fucked your assistant a whole lot over the course of a weekend, here is how to strike a balance between that strange relationship and your superior/subordinate relationship' policy.  
Perhaps he should call Human Resources and have them write one up for him.  
His meeting with Sophie went well, and he was glad that she was so desperate for his help that she required taking up nearly an hour and a half of his time. Adam was more than willing to lend her a hand and spent the hour after her visit calling in favors for her event. It was quarter to one when Adam's stomach growled. He'd had no time for breakfast, and had been feeling so awkward that he had forgotten he was hungry.  
He stood and made his way to the kitchen, frowning slightly when he noticed that Jade was out of the office. He had really hoped to at least see his face, if not make some form of base level conversation. When he stepped inside the kitchen, he saw someone bent over and digging through the refrigerator.  
He felt his cock twitch at the sight of that perfect ass in those tight pants. He averted his eyes, lest someone else walk in a see him staring. When Jade stood up, he jumped, startled.  
"Wow. I didn't hear you walk in." Jade shut the refrigerator door and leaned up against the counter opposite Adam and opened his juice.  
"Shouldn't you be out to lunch with Hunter?" Adam queried, not realizing how he sounded until the words were already said. He quickly moved to rectify this. "Not that I wish you weren't around, or anything. You just are usually gone at this time of day."  
Jade shrugged. "Hunter is backed up and had to work through lunch. Not that I should be telling you this because you'll probably yell at him."  
"It's no big deal. It happens."  
Jade tilted his head to the side and smiled softly. "Well, well. Mr. MeanTough has lightened up a bit."  
Adam knew that he should say something about why he has lightened up. Something like Jade has that effect on him. Or that having hot weekends filled with great sex have that effect on him. Or that spending an entire weekend just being with someone that permeates his every thought and consumes his every waking moment has that effect on him. Instead of saying one of those, he opted for something else.  
"Yeah? I wouldn't get used to it if I was you."  
Jade was silent and gave no visible reaction. He nodded slowly and contemplatively. "You know what? I won't."  
While Jade seemed to take Adam's response lightly, Adam knew otherwise. He knew that while he knew nothing on the list of the right things to say, he sure knew all of the absolute worst things to say.  
Jade smiled again, using this as a way of saying goodbye, and went back into his office. Adam turned and pulled a bag of Chex Mix out of the cabinet and grabbed a can of Coke out of the refrigerator. He left the kitchen and went into Jade's office, stopping in front of Jade's desk. He took a deep breath and walked around so he was standing beside Jade's chair.  
Jade turned around and looked up, a thin smile on his lips. "Can I help you?"  
Adam placed his hand on Jade's shoulder. "When I said that I wouldn't get used to it if I was you, I meant not really caring that Hunter probably spent last week slacking off and now he has to pay for it by working through lunch. Don't expect me to be giving too much lenience his way. As I'm sure you can tell, I'm in a particularly good mood today."  
Jade smiled, and Adam's hand went from his shoulder to the back of his neck. His fingers fluttered over Jade's skin, and he looked into Jade's eyes, smiling. Jade reached up and wrapped his hand around Adam's wrist.  
"You're an asshole." Jade said with a gentle laugh.  
Adam dropped his hand and shook his head, laughing with Jade. Jade held Adam's wrist for a few moments longer before letting it go and turning back to his work. Adam watched Jade for a few short moments before retreating to his own felt better; more like himself. He no longer felt like he was wearing two different shoes, or that his pants were on backwards. That small moment of connection with Jade seemed to relieve most of the awkwardness he had been feeling.  
Jade simply seemed to have that effect on him.

The work day came to an end and he and Jade parted ways with nothing more than a goodnight and a smile. When Adam got home, he felt awkward and antsy again. He considered going to the gym, but opted to walk down the street to the Mexican restaurant on the corner. He brought his Blackberry with him, and ate at the restaurant. He went back home, and checked his Blackberry, turning it off and then back on just in case it was acting up, as it had a tendency to do.  
He sighed, and around nine that evening took a shower. When he got out, he checked his Blackberry again. There was nothing of any interest at all to him, and he tossed it on the bed, not particularly caring where it landed.  
He paced around, going up into his home office and working for a few hours. When he finished with that, it was close to midnight and he was still far from ready to sleep. He was tired, of course, exhausted almost, but he didn't feel like he could sleep.  
At half past one, Adam crawled into bed, ready to test his luck at a fitful night's sleep. He slept on one side of the bed, and held one of the pillows close to his chest as he laid on his side. He didn't want to think, but at that hour, with nothing else to distract him, all he could seem to think about was Jade.  
How his eyelashes fluttered along his full cheeks as he slept. How he reflexively smiled when Adam ran the back of his hand across his cheek. How his skin felt so smooth and warm beneath his fingers, and how sweet it tasted when his lips and tongue came in contact with it. How he moaned and gave himself so freely to pleasure. How he fit so perfectly into the bends and folds of his own body as they slept.  
Adam picked up his Blackberry yet again, and checked his email and the time. Quarter past two, and nothing from Jade. At this level of sleep deprivation and borderline delirium, Adam had half a mind to show up at Jade's house, crawl into bed behind him, pull his body close, and just _sleep_.  
As far as Adam was concerned, the ball was in Jade's court. He had spent a weekend with him, and in his opinion, he had made it very clear what he had wanted. Jade was the one who was being complicated, now, and he couldn't help but wonder if he was doing it on purpose.  
It didn't change the fact that the tightening in Adam's chest and the sick feeling in his stomach was all because Jade was sleeping in another bed and not pressed against him. It didn't change the fact that he wanted Jade more than anything else in life. Most of all, it didn't change the fact that despite his best efforts to ward it off, he had somehow managed to fall in love with him.  
By Friday morning, Jade had noticed a shift in not only Adam's mood, but in his appearance. He looked awful, and every time he asked Adam what was going on, he snapped at him. Jade, who was accustomed to Adam's mood swings, was growing fairly tired of it. Every single day he stayed in for lunch, to make himself available should Adam need _anything_.  
Today would be different. He needed to get away from Adam, and perhaps Adam needed a bit of space. He had already scheduled his lunch plans with Hunter, who was glad for the escape.  
Jade knocked on Adam's office door, and when he got no response, peeked his head in. Adam was sitting at his desk seemingly looking at a fax that he had received, but his eyes were closed.  
"Hey, Adam?"  
When Adam looked up, with red unfocused eyes and several days worth of stubble peppering his face, Jade felt his heart lurch into his throat. Adam was going through something, but in true Adam style, was keeping it to himself.  
"Adam..." Jade said, walking over to Adam's desk and sitting down in the chair in front of him. "You need to talk to me."  
"I don't need to do anything. What I need is another cup of coffee and something to eat." Adam said harshly.  
Jade's face hardened, and the emotion he felt at seeing Adam looking so haggard was easily stuffed down. Jade took a deep breath and collected himself, giving it one more try. He reached across the desk and placed his hands on top of both of Adam's. Adam met his eyes, and they softened considerably.  
"Adam, you're not all right. You look like hell, you're acting like a jerk, and I don't think you can help it. If you tell me what's wrong with you, I'll do whatever it takes – whatever you want."  
Adam pulled his hands out from under Jade's. "Would you."  
Adam's tone made Jade sneer. It wasn't a question so much as a declarative objection rife with indignation. Jade pushed back from the chair and stood up, taking a moment to look down at Adam  
"I'm right here, Adam. I'm right here. If you need something from me, you know exactly how to get it. You know exactly what to do." Jade said. The amount of frustration in Jade's voice made Adam glad that he hadn't released it and started a true argument. He was too tired to fight back and Jade held too much power over him to loose. An unfair battle, for sure.  
"I'm going to lunch with Hunter. I'll be back." Jade said tiredly.  
Adam said nothing.  
Hunter and Jade sat at the Johnny Rockets a few miles from their office. The diner was reminiscent of something right out of the fifties, but Hunter and Jade liked it there because they would substitute the meat patty in any burger with a veggie patty. It made them both very happy.  
Hunter reached across the table and took one of Jade's french fries, shoving it into his mouth.  
"You fucked him, didn't you?"  
Jade, who had been happily sipping on his milkshake, began coughing. "Who? What? Hunter, what the hell are you talking about?"  
Hunter sat back and smiled. "I've never seen Adam this happy. He hasn't yelled at anyone all week, and I haven't heard him scream at you since Friday afternoon. And he looks worn out in ways I've never seen. You've been studiously avoiding me, and now I know why. You fucked him, and you knew I'd take one look at you and _know_. You knew I'd take one look at him and know."  
Jade slurped up the last of his apple pie milkshake, and looked up at Hunter. "Who are you kidding? Adam hates my guts."  
"What are you talking about? He worships you. And who are you kidding? You fucked him."  
"Would you stop saying that?" Jade said with a definite blush. "And I haven't been avoiding you, you've been busy."  
"I'm never too busy to eat and you know that. You're suddenly spending more time in your own office, and less time bitching about him and how he makes your life miserable. You haven't complained about him once."  
Jade shrugged, looking out the window to avoid Hunter's scrutiny.  
"Please. Just admit it, and then I'll drop the subject and we'll keep eating." Hunter said, smiling in a way that made Jade laugh a little.  
"Fine. I admit it."  
"Admit what?"  
Jade glared and Hunter smiled. "Adam and I slept together, all right? We did. We had sex. Is that what you wanted to hear?"  
Hunter nodded. "Pretty much, yeah. I've known since I saw you two on Monday. I knew something was up, and I thought, you know, being your best friend and all, that you'd tell me. Much to my dismay, I had to force it out of you."  
"I don't kiss and tell."  
Hunter munched quietly on the rest of Jade's food, and Jade ordered a second veggie cheeseburger, a side of fries, and a large coke to go. Hunter looked up at him and shook his head.  
"Was he so good that you're waiting on him hand and foot, now?" Hunter asked. "What a good boyfriend you are."  
Jade knew that Hunter wouldn't drop the subject anytime soon, like he said he would. "He's having a rough time. He looks like hell and is acting even worse. I'm bringing him food because he needs to eat. I'd do the same for you, and you're not my boyfriend. And to clear the air, neither is he."  
Hunter looked honestly shocked. "You guys aren't together?"  
The look on Jade's face was sad enough to make him drop the subject for good. Or at the very least for a week or two. Jade's words were quiet and meaningful. "Just because you sleep with someone doesn't mean they want to be with you."  
Hunter nodded, and when the waitress brought the food, and they stood to leave, he slipped an arm around Jade's shoulders. Jade smiled at Hunter, wrapping his arm around his waist. They walked to the car this way, and when they got back to the office, Hunter and Jade made plans for that evening. If Adam didn't want to be Jade's date, then Hunter was more than happy to. Granted, he didn't have the same things to offer as Adam did, but companionship was companionship.  
Jade walked through his office and into Adam's. He knocked, and when Adam responded, he opened the door.  
"Not that you deserve it," Jade began, setting the bag of food on Adam's desk. "But I brought something back for you."  
Adam offered Jade all he could give him at the moment – a smile, and gratitude. "Thank you. Thank you so much, Jade."  
Jade nodded. "Uh huh. It's the mushroom burger, extra relish."  
Adam laughed. "Gee. Thanks."  
When Adam opened the burger to find that there were, in fact, no mushrooms or relish on it, he smiled again. How Jade remembered all of the stupid little things, he couldn't be sure.  
"I didn't bring you coffee, though. That you can get yourself." Jade said shortly.  
Jade waited a moment for Adam to say something else, anything else, but he didn't. Jade turned around and went to the door.  
"Hey, Jade?" Adam called, setting his burger down and looking up.  
"Yes?"  
Adam opened his mouth, but closed it, shaking his head. "Never mind. It's fine."  
Jade turned to leave, and rolled his eyes. "Sure it is."  
When Jade was safely on the other side of the door, Adam bit into his burger. He ate quickly, and threw his trash away in the bin that was beside his desk. He so desperately wanted to tell Jade why he had been so moody and tired. He wanted to tell Jade that _he_ was the only reason he couldn't sleep through the night. He was ready to admit that Jade was the reason he was becoming a better man.  
He didn't know how or why he and Jade were in this holding pattern, but they were. He just really needed for them to get out of it, because during this week without Jade at his side during the night, he was able to see clearly. He was scared, absolutely terrified of getting hurt again, but he was ready. He was ready to move on, and Jade was the person he wanted to move on knew this now.  
How to make it clear to Jade was beyond him.  
Jade and Hunter stumbled out of Club Beat It somewhere near two in the morning. Hunter had been desperately trying to go home with a girl or two, but when his efforts proved to be in vain, he spent the night dancing up against Jade in ways that made the fag hags swoon. As they walked down the street, Hunter slipped his arm around Jade's shoulders.  
"I think we had a good night." Hunter said.  
"I don't remember the last time I had this much fun." Jade replied, a smile lighting his face.  
"Maybe that time that you and Adam most likely fucked like bunnies?" The words were out of Hunter's mouth before he could stop them, and he looked over at Jade apologetically.  
"Yeah. That was all right."  
"I'm sorry. It just slipped out."  
"It's fine."  
"Do you want to tell me what's happening?" Hunter asked.  
"Adam's being Adam. I think that explains it well enough."  
Hunter nodded. "It does. Well, if he slept with you, then he obviously has something for you. I saw how he was with Davey and I see how he is with you. There's certainly a massive difference. He's just an idiot sometimes. He can't help it. I just think he forgets what to do when you're in love."  
"Whose side are you on?" Jade said with a half smile and a mock glare.  
"He signs my paycheck."  
Jade laughed, pulling out of Hunter's grasp and stepping away from him. "You can find your own damn ride home. Better yet, call your friend Adam and have him come get you."  
Hunter laughed as well, waiting for Jade to slow down before falling in step beside him again. "I'm just saying. Sometimes Adam needs people to lay it all out for him. This is probably one of those times. Maybe you should just be direct with him. Say, 'hey, you and I should be together.' And he'll say 'good idea, glad I thought of it.' And you'll live happily ever after. Which will totally work out for me because being his boyfriend's best friend has to mean that I get more leeway than everyone else."  
"I think Adam is shaping up to be more trouble than he's worth." Jade said sadly.  
Hunter studied Jade's face for a long while before responding. "No, you don't. You don't really think that."  
"I wish I did."  
Jade took Hunter home, and when he pulled away from the curb, he felt of his frustration and anger with Adam boil, and finally break through to the surface. Who was he to treat him like that? Jade realized that he was long overdue for being pissed off. Adam spent the weekend with him, and then when they got back to work on Monday, treated him as though nothing had happened.  
He couldn't do that.  
Jade reached around on his passenger seat looking for his Blackberry. It had slipped onto the floor, and he looked away from the road long enough to pick it up. He began searching the names before he decided that this was not an argument they should have over the phone.  
If he decided that he wanted to punch Adam in the face, then he had every right to be physically able to do just that.  
He made a sharp left and began driving towards Adam's loft. By the time he actually got there, he was well past the point of anger. He was irate. He took the elevator up and didn't hesitate even one moment before pounding loudly on Adam's door. He briefly regretted this, out of concern for neighbors, until he remembered that Adam had the entire floor. He banged on the door again.  
Seconds later, the door was creaking open and Adam was standing before him. He looked worse than he had earlier in the day, but his face held a look of utter relief.  
"Jade." He said almost whimsically.  
Jade pushed his way into the apartment and didn't even wait for Adam to shut the door before he began his rant  
"Who the hell do you think you are?"  
The weak smile that Adam had for Jade dropped from his face. At his level of exhaustion – both emotional and physical – Adam was far from capable of fighting with him and winning.  
"Who do you think _I_ am?" Jade continued, turning so he was face to face with Adam. "You can't do this to me! You have to fucking stop. You want me? Then have me, God damn it. I'm right here. Right fucking here! And yet you're doing nothing. I'm yours for the taking, and you string me around like I'm some damn animal? I'm sick and fucking tired of this."  
"Understandably." Adam said with a soft nod.  
"Yeah! You can't just fuck me and then go! I'm not Davey. I'm not going to put up with this. What is _wrong_ with you? I'm trying to let you make your decisions on your own terms, but you can't treat me like a hooker. That's for damn sure. You have to at least acknowledge that there might be something between us."  
"There is."  
"I know! And – and I'm not going to tiptoe around you and let you treat me like this because oh, I need to be careful because you're scared of getting hurt again. And oh, I should tread lightly because you've had your heart broken. And oh, we have to watch out because you're my boss. And oh, you're scared of relationships so it's okay to push people away so now I just have to deal with it. You should be the one who treads lightly. You're the one who has been a dick to me, not the other way around, buddy. I've been nothing but wonderful to you." Jade narrowed his eyes at Adam. " You should be sorry."  
"I am sorry."  
"Good! And we have to establish something, here. I can't just be the guy you screw on the side. This may sound needy, but I want something more from you than just sex. I want companionship and understanding and friendship and...well, sex, of course, because it's really good. But that's beside the point. I want you, Adam. All of you. Not just your cock and a peck on the lips. I want something real and I think I deserve that."  
"You do."  
"Thank you. If you're not ready for a relationship, then you should have said so." Jade paused, sneering at Adam. "And why are you just agreeing with me? Are you trying to placate me? Because it sure as hell isn't going to work." Jade said, jabbing a finger into Adam's chest.  
"I'm not trying to placate you. I do agree with you."  
"Well, you should. And yeah." Jade came to an abrupt halt. "I think I'm done."  
Adam nodded. "Okay."  
"Is that it? You have nothing to say for yourself?"  
"Everything that had to be said, you've already said. I'm an asshole, and I'm afraid of relationships. I'm sorry you feel like I've treated you badly, because I never meant to. Please." Adam said, holding his arms out in front of him and beckoning for Jade to come closer.  
Jade crossed his arms over his chest. "I think I might still be mad at you."  
Adam's eyes widened. "Please. I'm so, so tired and I haven't been able to get a good night's sleep since last Saturday. It's why I've been so moody. I toss and turn, and I don't get more than two or three hours of sleep. It's because I can't stop thinking about you and how much I need you. I need you, Jade, please."  
Hearing Adam, who doesn't need anything or anyone, declare that he needed Jade, made Jade's heart stop dead in his chest. He was so desperate and so pathetic, and it was all so clear, that Jade took a few steps towards Adam and let himself be pulled to Adam's chest. Adam kissed Jade's forehead and held him close. "We can talk more in the morning. Please, just stay with me tonight. Just like that first night. Please, just stay."  
Jade nodded against Adam's chest. He secretly liked this sleep deprived version of Adam. Jade liked being needed. He liked even more to be needed by Adam. Jade was pulled in the direction of Adam's bedroom, and when they slipped behind the curtain, Adam crawled into bed. Jade stripped himself unceremoniously and slid in beside Adam.  
Adam's bed was enormous in comparison to his own, and he sunk into it, the softness enveloping him. Adam's arms were greedily reaching out for him, and he rolled over so that his face was pressed into the side of Adam's neck. Adam sighed softly, a smile coming to his lips.  
"Thank you." He said, kissing the side of Jade's head.  
"I don't know how you weren't able to sleep in a bed like this." Jade noted. "This is spectacular."  
"You." Adam said tiredly. "Because of you."  
"Adam, you have to promise me this: you and I are going to work this out in the morning. We're going to figure it all out. We're not going to leave it like this."  
He felt Adam nod. "You have my word."  
At that moment, if Jade asked Adam to promise to buy him the Red Sox Baseball Club, a diamond tiara, and a pony, he would gladly agree. As long as he stayed the night.  
"Okay." Jade said, kissing Adam's neck.  
Jade was usually unable to sleep when he had unresolved conflicts weighing on his conscience, but the amazing softness of Adam's bed and the warm comfort that his body provided were more than enough to lull him to sleep in no time at all.  
Jade's eyes fluttered open to the sunlight pouring in from every angle. He rolled over and realized he was still trapped under the weight of Adam's arms. From the looks of it, Adam hadn't even moved a millimeter. Jade crawled out of bed, and passed by an alarm clock and noted that it was almost half past noon and that he and Adam had been asleep for roughly ten hours. He stretched a bit, cracking his neck before strutting into the bathroom. The bathroom was all black and marble and steel and pretty much the size of Jade's bedroom at home. The shower stall was big enough for two, and this made Jade smile. He and Adam would be having a fantastic time in there at some point. He was sure of this.  
After he did his business, he crawled back into bed with Adam, situating himself so that he was right back in his arms. Jade was rather content with just lying there with his eyes closed and listening to Adam's steady breathing. He knew Adam was so desperate for sleep, and he was eager to let him have it. He wanted to show Adam that when he woke up, he would still be in his arms.  
Because _he_ wasn't an asshole.  
Almost an hour and a half later, Adam began to stir, but instead of moving farther away from Jade, he moved closer, pressing himself against Jade's body. Adam's hands began to roam freely, starting at Jade's sides and then working his way into his hair. Jade moved his hands over so that they could reach behind and grab Adam's ass. Jade pressed his hips into Adam's and he felt Adam moan against the side of his neck.  
Adam kissed Jade's neck, disappearing beneath the covers to kiss his collar bones, and his chest, and down his stomach. Jade let out a gasp when he felt Adam's fingers dipping beneath the waistband of his boxers. Adam had Jade's boxers at the end of the bed in under a second, and his hands held Jade's hips firmly to the mattress. Adam shifted so that he was between Jade's legs, and leaned down, kissing the inside of Jade's thigh.  
Jade twisted his hands in the bed sheets, closing his eyes and letting out a long, lustful moan. Adam could feel Jade's cock pressing against the side of his neck, begging for attention, but he was going to draw this out as long as he could. He peppered Jade's lower stomach with kisses as he moved to his other thigh, kissing along the crease there.  
Adam moved down and placed tiny kisses along Jade's ballsac. He licked down the center, down to the perineum, and down to the tight, puckered hole of his ass. He let his tongue lap and lick freely, and he could hear Jade whimpering and moaning pathetically.  
Jade never uttered a word, but Adam could almost feel him begging for it. Adam let his tongue drag upwards and he shifted again so he was hovering above Jade's body. He took the head of Jade's cock into his mouth, paused, and then took the rest of him in. He was through with the teasing, now. Jade had let Adam do what he wanted, now it was time to give Jade what he needed.  
Adam bobbed his head quickly, reaching down to fondle Jade's tight scrotum. Jade's whimpers became heavy breathing as Adam sped up his ministrations and increased the amount of suction.  
A steady chant of his name was all the warning Adam received before he was swallowing down Jade's cum. He continued to suck and fondle Jade until he was all the way through his orgasm. Adam let Jade's cock slide out of his mouth before crawling up Jade's body and laying his head down on Jade's pillow.  
Jade turned his head to the side and met Adam's wide, blue eyes for the first time since they woke up. Adam leaned forward and pressed his lips to Jade's, sweeping his tongue into Jade's mouth briefly before pulling back and placing his hand on his cheek.  
"Good morning." Adam said, his voice scratchy from sleep. "And thank you."  
"Good morning to you, too." Jade said, his voice scratchy from moaning. "And it's I who should be thanking you."  
Jade rolled into Adam, reaching down to grab at Adam through his boxers. Jade was surprised when Adam pulled away and shook his head. Adam stood, erection visible through the thin material of his shorts, and leaned over Jade, kissing him gently on the lips.  
"That was just for you." Adam whispered, brushing Jade's hair out of his face and walking to the bathroom. Adam turned around to face Jade, who was still staring at him. "Get up and meet me in the kitchen. We need food."  
Jade took his time getting out of bed and finding his boxers. When he slipped them on, and finally made his way into the kitchen, Adam was already there. He sat on a barstool at the island in the center of the kitchen, and watched Adam work.  
"Pancakes, waffles, or Fruity Pebbles?" Adam asked, scooping some ground coffee into the coffee maker.  
Jade smiled at the thought of eating Fruity Pebbles across from Adam. "Fruity Pebbles."  
Adam smiled softly. "Don't mock the pebbles."  
"I would never. Did you get a good night's sleep?" Jade asked, eyes focused steadily on Adam's ass as he pulled two bowls from the cabinet and poured the cereal into them. Adam went to the refrigerator, pulled out the soymilk and poured that into the bowls as well. He left it out on the counter while he placed the bowls and spoons on the island and sat next to Jade.  
"Best all week." Adam said, scooping a spoonful of the sugary goodness into his mouth.  
Jade did the same, swallowing it all down. He was intent on eating before launching into the string of questions he hoped would finally bring an end to the mass of confusion that was their relationship. "Good."  
The pair ate in silence, and when they were finished, Adam took the bowls to the sink and poured them cups of coffee. Jade sipped his quietly, eyes never leaving Adam's face.  
"Do you want to talk, now?" Adam asked.  
"What you said last night, did you mean it?" Jade asked, not even bothering to beat around the bush.  
"Every word." Adam said quickly. "I need you. Here. With me. All the time. I realized that, but everything was still so strange and I didn't know how to tell you."  
"If you had said that – those exact words – I would have done it. Anything. I would have done anything." Jade said seriously. "That's all you had to do."  
Adam nodded. "I just didn't know how to say it."  
"Directly always works. What were you afraid of? I handed myself over to you. I don't think I could have made my intentions any clearer."  
"I'm an idiot."  
"I know. It's something I'll just have to work with, apparently." Jade said, shaking his head. "I don't want to do the coy thing, or the weekend thing. It's hard for me to settle for less, but I will if I have to. I just have to know because if we're going to do this, if we're going to have a relationship, for real, then you're going to have to be in it, too. All the way. I can't have you backing out of it after two months, and then expect me to just wait for you to get all un-scared again."  
Adam reached over and took his hand. "After all this, do you still want to be with me?"  
Jade rolled his eyes. "After all of the hell you put me through? I would have walked away at the first sign of trouble if I didn't. But unfortunately, yes, I still want to be with you. Really, be with you, though. Not just be the guy who stands at your side and looks good."  
"Why?" Adam asked sincerely. "Why do you want that?"  
"I'm a glutton for punishment? A masochist?"  
"Seriously, Jade."  
"It's just, I...I can't help the way I feel and...the way that..." Jade sighed, and looked down. "I fucking love you, all right?"  
Adam stood up quickly, closing the short distance and wrapping his arms around Jade. He kissed Jade's cheek, and the side of his head, and then pulled back so he could kiss his lips. Jade held onto Adam tightly, surrendering himself to Adam fully. Adam deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue into Jade's mouth and when Jade opened his eyes, Adam was looking back. Jade felt his heart flutter, and let Adam bring the kiss to a slow stop.  
Adam pulled Jade close again, resting his face in the crook of Jade's neck. His words were hot and strong against Jade's skin. "I love you."  
Jade closed his eyes, and held Adam tighter.  
This was it. This was everything they had been waiting for. Now, they finally had it right.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter Ten: China White**__  
I don't believe in miracles, but I believe in you._

Jade sighed, looking around the confines of his new office. His desk felt too big, and the plants that sat in the corner looked so cliche to him. The gray carpet beneath his feet seemed too clean, and the view of the city behind him was from too great a height. The flat screen TV on the wall was tuned to FUSE and the volume was too low to hear the Fall Out Boy video that was showing on the screen.

There was a knock at his door, and when he told the visitor to come in, he smiled.  
"Hey, Travis. What's up?"  
The tall, skinny boy with obviously flat-ironed hair smiled at him, his green eyes sparkling.  
"Hey, Jade. Ms. Dahl from the Dallas office just sent this fax to the main line. I'm assuming it's for you." Travis said, setting some papers down onto Jade's desk.  
Jade looked up and smiled at his assistant. "Thanks. You know what? You can go ahead and go home for the day. It's Friday. I'm sure you have plans."  
Travis smiled. "Really? You sure? It's only two."  
"Yeah. Go for it."  
Travis smiled again. "Thanks."  
Jade flipped through the fax, calling Jenny Dahl at their Dallas office. He spent quite a while on the phone with her, organizing a meeting for the two of them and some of their clients. He hung up the phone and sighed, standing up. He made his way through the heavy mahogany doors and through Travis's vacated office and into the main office, where Amy sat, one the phone with someone who was obviously very upset with her. He looked out over the waiting area and noted that the plush red chairs were similar to the ones he saw at a Crate and Barrel recently. Their decorator had good taste.  
He looked to his right and saw Adam's empty office and frowned sadly. Adam had been gone for quite some time, but it still pained him. He crossed the hall and walked right up to the other mahogany door marked "Hunter Burgan" and opened it, smiling sweetly at Hunter's new assistant.  
"Hello, Kyle."  
Kyle smiled up, flipping her blond hair over one shoulder. "Hey. Last time I went in there he was playing Spider Solitaire. I doubt he's busy."  
"Thanks." He said. He paused, turning to face her again. "Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"  
"Sure."  
"Your parents _really_ named you Kyle?"  
She laughed gently, having been asked this question many times in her life. "Yes. They really, really wanted a boy."  
Jade laughed. "My parents really wanted a girl."  
"Well, then aren't we the pair."  
"Gives us an edge, I suppose." He said, making his way into Hunter's office.  
He opened the door, listlessly walking into Hunter's office and planting himself down in one of the faux leather chairs in front of his desk. He sighed.  
"Oh, God." Hunter said exasperatedly. "You knew he was leaving. You knew it for a while. Are you still sad about it?"  
"Yes." Jade said laconically.  
"It happens. He moved from San Francisco to LA, now Milan needs his attention. He runs the company. He's only one person."  
"Couldn't you have gone?" Jade said with a smirk.  
Hunter frowned. "Do you need a BJ? Would that make you feel better?"  
Jade laughed heartily, the laughter dying down to reveal a frown and a profound sadness. "I miss him so, so much."  
Hunter nodded, understanding his pain. "Don't worry. He won't forget you. At least you got a promotion, and we got much bigger offices. And mine got to be right next to the kitchen."  
Jade nodded. "True. Are you coming with me to the Dolce and Gabbana event tonight?"  
"Do you need me there?"  
"I don't _need_ you there. I want your company. I need a chaperone, and who better than you?"  
Hunter scoffed. "A minute ago you wanted me in Milan. Now you want me at an event with you? Can I be your date?"  
Jade shook his head. "Davey's my date, of course."  
Hunter smiled. "Of course. So you two can hug and kiss all over the red carpet and get it splashed all over the covers of magazines. Just so when Adam sees them, he can fly into a jealous rage and hate your treacherous little guts."  
Jade looked up with glittering eyes. "He doesn't get to hate my guts. He left."  
Hunter didn't respond.  
That night, dressed in a deep burgundy tuxedo, Jade arrived at the gala with Davey on his arm. Davey clung to Jade's side, leaning on him and kissing him on the cheek every time a camera flash went off.  
Hunter looked on from the sidelines, shaking his head disapprovingly. Jade saw this and smiled broadly, leaning into Davey, sliding a hand down his hip. He pulled Davey in closer, who placed a hand on Jade's stomach, resting his head on his shoulder.  
Davey leaned up and whispered into Jade's ear. "You know this is going to be everywhere, right?"  
Jade nodded. "Indeed."  
"He's sure to see it." Davey said gravely.  
"I don't care."  
When the camera flashes began to ebb, Jade and Davey stepped off the red carpet, each going their separate ways. Davey made his way over to the tall, gorgeous models and Jade made his way over to Hunter, who handed him a glass of water. Jade sipped it slowly, smiling at Hunter over his glass.  
"Jade..."  
"What?" Jade questioned defensively.  
Hunter just shook his head. He slipped his arm through Jade's arm as they made their way through the crowd of people. Jade and Hunter stopped to talk to several reporters who were often questioning Jade about his choice in men, as lately he had been seen around town with a different pretty boy in tow each time. Jade, having learned this lesson from Adam well over a year ago, kept quiet, never mentioning a thing about his or anyone else's personal life.  
The party went on, and Jade was seen leaving the event somewhere near midnight with Davey at his side. He drove up the curvy Mullholland drive, to the very top, where he pulled into Davey's driveway. Davey leaned across the car and gave Jade a gentle peck on the cheek. "You sure you'll be all right in that big scary place of yours all by your lonesome?"  
Jade nodded. "I'll be fine. I promise."  
Davey smiled sadly. "Call me if you get lonely."  
"Thank you, I will." Jade said, waiting to make sure that Davey got into his house all right. Jade took the long way home, and when he got there, he took a quick shower and crawled into bed. It was quite a bed to be in by himself, and he was, indeed, very lonely. He sunk down into the softness and drifted into a fitful sleep.  
Hours later, his eyes opened slowly. He glanced at the alarm clock and saw that it was ten minutes past four in the morning. He had been dreaming, but about what, he couldn't be so sure. His eyes began to close again, but opened at the feel of weight behind him, causing the bed to dip down. He turned onto his back quickly and was met with a hard, blue gaze.  
The only reaction Jade gave was rapid blinking, trying to make sure that his eyes were not deceiving him at this hour. Tentatively, he reached a hand up and threaded his finger through the mass of dark, shaggy hair on the other man's head.  
When he was certain that this was not a figment of his imagination, or an apparition created by his fierce longing, he sat up, driving his lips against the other man's so hard that he tasted blood almost instantly. Adam pulled Jade close, crushing his small frame to his chest with his much larger arms.  
Jade curled his fingers into Adam's hair, kissing him with every ounce of energy that he had. Adam's hands roamed over Jade's bare back, and he moaned into the kiss, returning it with just as much passion as Jade displayed.  
Jade whimpered into Adam's open mouth, digging his fingers into the soft fabric of the other man's tee shirt and desperately trying to move closer. The kiss went on for what felt like a lifetime before Adam pulled away, his chest heaving against Jade's. He buried his face against the crook of Jade's neck, gasping for air, but still pressing tiny kisses against Jade's flesh.  
Jade rested his chin on Adam's shoulder, not moving away from the other man's body. He had every intention of asking Adam what he was doing back in town much sooner than expected, but didn't want to ruin the silence of their reunion just yet.  
Adam pulled back, placing both of his hands on Jade's cheeks. He kissed Jade's lips tenderly, though not chastely. He nibbled the other man's lips, and then trailed a line of kisses from the corner of his mouth, across his cheek, and ended the array by pressing his lips to the other man's temple.  
Jade pulled Adam close again, having missed the feel of the other man's body against his own. Their breathing became synchronized and it was quite some time before Jade felt ready to release Adam from his iron grip. When he did, Adam brushed his hand down the side of Jade's face and cupped his chin, holding it there for just a moment before dropping both of his hands to the bed.  
Jade smiled with a brilliance that could light the night shrouded room. Adam smiled back, only able to see Jade and nothing else.  
Jade opened his mouth to tell Adam how much he had missed him, and ask him what he was doing back, but nothing came out. He reached out, clasped Adam's hand, and interlaced their fingers. Adam pulled their linked hands up to his lips, and kissed across Jade's knuckles before dropping their hands into his lap.  
"Oh, God, I love you. I...so much...and what're you...how did you...why?" Jade stuttered out.  
Adam laughed, the sound echoing in the room. "Me, too."  
The reality of the moment finally sunk in, and Jade somehow managed to form coherent statements. "What are you doing back? I thought you were supposed to be in Milan for another three weeks."  
"I was. I called Hunter from the plane and asked him to finish up for me. He's leaving in the morning."  
Jade narrowed his eyes. "When did you talk to Hunter?"  
"It was probably about ten in the morning, LA time." Adam said quickly, knowing that Jade was about to explode.  
"That rat bastard! He _knew_ you were coming back tonight? He didn't say a God damned thing to me!" Jade cried. "He knew all day, and didn't say a word. That asshole! Which means Kyle knew he was leaving, and didn't say a thing, either. Everyone knew but me. Now I know where his loyalties lay."  
Adam shrugged. "I sign his paychecks."  
"Whatever, dude. Best friend or not, he's a fucking prick." Jade muttered.  
"You don't like the surprise? I can leave if you want. Be gone for another nine weeks, if you'd prefer." Adam said innocently.  
Jade squeezed his hand. "Don't you even think about it. And yes, I like the surprise. But if I had known you were coming back tonight, I would have waited up for you, jumped you and had your cock in my mouth the second you walked through that door."  
Adam smiled at the thought. "That would have been great, but the look of surprise on your face was far better than getting a blowjob at the door. This way," Adam said, leaning in to kiss Jade's neck. "I get the look of surprise _and_ the blowjob."  
"Oh. Do you, now?"  
"Uh huh. Now that we're done with the emotional 'I love you, I missed you' prerequisites, I can rip right into that tight ass of yours." Adam said gruffly, sliding his free hand up to rub a thumb across Jade's nipple.  
Jade moaned, his body reflexively arching into the touch he had missed so much. "No. I believe it is I who should get to rip right into that tight ass of yours."  
Adam laughed, his lips smiling against Jade's skin. "Maybe in the morning. Or sooner."  
"Deal."  
Adam released his hold on Jade's hand, and used the hand that was toying with Jade's nipples to press his body back against the bed. He pulled the covers back from Jade's body and straddled him, pressing his hips against Jade's.  
Jade moaned loudly, his hips rolling up against Adam's. There would be no teasing tonight. Jade knew this. It had been too long, and no amount of phone sex or masturbation could compare to the feel of Adam's hands on him. He already felt like every single nerve was on fire, and every inch of his body was begging for Adam's touch.  
Adam pulled his shirt off, balling it up and throwing it into a corner of their bedroom. Jade's fingers flew to Adam's fly and unbuttoned and unzipped the pants quickly. Adam struggled to get them off, throwing his socks, shoes, pants and boxers to the floor. Adam positioned himself between Jade's legs and slid the other man's boxers down, revealing his only half-formed erection.  
Adam frowned, looking from Jade's cock back up to his face. "I expected more from you."  
Jade shrugged. "Masturbated in the shower. Give me a minute."  
Adam snickered, laying his body against Jade's. "I masturbated in the airplane bathroom."  
Jade laughed, smoothing his hands down Adam's sides, working his fingers against the quivering muscles beneath taught skin. He reached around to grab at Adam's ass, pulling his hips against his own and moaning loudly.  
Adam reached above them to the headboard and brought out the lube, coating his fingers with it and slithering down. He sat up on his knees and lifted Jade's hips, fingering the tight hole before easily slipping two fingers inside.  
"Have you been playing with the toys I bought you?" Adam asked, referring to the treasure chest of sex toys he gave to Jade right before he had to leave.  
"Absolutely."  
Jade shuddered as Adam slipped in a third finger and stretched him wide. He knew that Adam had no intention of making this slow and gentle, and he was looking forward to it greatly. He smiled to himself, knowing exactly what would give Adam just enough of a push to make them even hotter for each other.  
"I went to the Dolce and Gabbana thing with Dave tonight." Jade began. When Adam paused and looked up with raised eyebrows, he continued. "He was on my arm all night. His hard body pressed up against me." Jade rubbed his hands over his chest, blinked slowly, licking his lips. "His lips on my neck. My hands were on his hips and his hands were on my stomach...so close to my cock. There are pictures of it."  
Jade watched as veiled jealousy flitted across Adam's face and settled in the deep pools of his blue eyes. "I'll bet you loved every second of it."  
"Only because I knew you'd see the pictures."  
Adam shoved his fingers in deeper and harder, massaging Jade's insides almost savagely. Jade moaned, his cock at full erection now.  
"I know you think about it, sometimes. Him and me. What it would look like. How it would sound." Jade said hoarsely. "What it would feel like."  
Jade was right. Adam did think about it. Not enough to warrant the request to have it happen, though. He knew Jade would do it if he asked. In a second. Not because he wanted to fuck Davey, but simply because Adam had asked him to.  
Adam was harder than he had ever been. Jade words were testing both his restraint and his trust, but Jade knew how to walk the line.  
"You'd watch as I pulled his hair and rode that tight ass, wouldn't you?" Jade whispered hotly. He began to stroke himself slowly as he voiced their shared fantasy. "And then, when I was finished, I'd let him suck me off while you fucked me."  
That was it for Adam. He pulled his fingers out of Jade, and without even placing an ounce of lube on himself, dove into Jade, not bothering to wait for him to adjust. He rode Jade hard and fast, the sound of skin smacking against skin filling the room as an overtone to their ragged breathing. Adam lifted Jade's hips higher, and Jade locked his ankles around Adam's neck.  
Jade cried out, whimpering as Adam's cock slid back and forth over his prostate. Adam drove harder and faster, digging his fingers into Jade's hips, knowing there would be bruises. He stilled, tilting his head back and letting out a ragged groan as he came, nearly passing out from the force. He pulled back, dropping Jade's legs to the bed.  
Adam leaned forward and kissed Jade, but Jade wasn't ready for the tenderness that Adam was showing. He bit down on the other man's lip and pulled, reaching down and squeezing Adam's supersensitive cock.  
Adam gave a hybrid of a cry and a whimper, and rolled to the side. Jade felt around for the discarded lube and poured a generous amount into the palm of his hand. He wrapped it around his cock and slicked himself. He urged Adam to turn over onto his stomach, which Adam did willingly.  
Jade sat up onto his knees, which proved to be difficult due to his state of arousal and moved behind Adam. Adam shifted onto his hands and knees and was surprised when Jade began kissing the back of his neck. He felt Jade's wet cock pressing at his ass, and braced himself, only to be surprised again. Jade nibbled at his ear and he turned his head, meeting Jade's mouth in a searing kiss. Jade slipped his hands around to Adam's chest and kneaded his pectorals, pinching Adam's peaked nipples and pulling on them.  
His cock slipped between the cleft of Adam's ass as he ran his hands down Adam's front and lightly brushed his fingers over Adam's cock. He smiled against Adam's shoulder and straightened himself. He placed both hands on Adam's ass and spread him wide. He lined his cock at the puckered hole and pushed in none too gently.  
Adam dropped his head forward, closing his eyes as Jade fucked him hard. Jade wrapped his delicate hand around Adam's cock and stroked furiously, drawing an almost painful cry from Adam's lips. Jade was panting and he was so close to the edge.

Adam was shaking violently from the amount of pleasure that was coursing through him. His body wasn't ready to give him another orgasm so soon, but Jade was determined to get him there.  
With Jade's cock rubbing his prostate, and his hand jerking his cock, Adam's body gave in, giving him the second orgasm that Jade so desperately wanted him to have. Adam's eyes rolled back and he moaned, chanting Jade's name as he spilled an almost microscopic amount of cum onto the bed sheets below them.  
The undulating muscles in Adam's ass felt like a vice on Jade's cock, and he, too, came, biting down on Adam's shoulder and whimpering in a way that sounded like a series of sobs. Jade wrapped an arm around Adam's stomach and held his body close. Their shaking limbs could no longer hold them and they fell onto the bed.  
The aftershocks of Adam's orgasms caused the muscles in his ass to quiver, and Jade shuddered and whimpered every time they coursed through Adam's body. They rode out the waves of residual pleasure together, and when Adam turned his head, Jade kissed him again. After an extended cool down, Jade pulled out, rolling to his side and letting his eyes search Adam's face.  
"I swear, every time is better than the last." Adam said softly.  
"Which is why I insist on us having as much sex as we do."  
Adam smiled, running a shaky hand through Jade's hair. "Hey."  
"Hmm?"  
"I love you."  
The corner of Jade's mouth turned up in a smile. "I love you."  
Adam pulled his hand away and looked at Jade seriously. "I don't know about tomorrow. I think after this, you and I are on strict bed rest. No sex until at least Monday."  
Jade nodded, the soreness in his muscles and ass already setting in. "For sure."  
Adam reached out and pulled Jade to him. Jade rolled over in his arms, pressing his back to Adam's chest. Adam nibbled at Jade's ear, not to arouse him, but just because it was there. Jade placed his hands on top of Adam's and brushed his fingers over the tops of his hands. Now, Jade was ready for tenderness. He was tired, and thoroughly satisfied.  
"Are there really pictures of you and Davey groping?" Adam asked.  
"Yes, sir. Aren't there always?"  
Jade felt more than heard Adam's deep chuckle. "I might have to find them and take them with me the next time I go on a trip."  
"Next time, why don't you just take us with you." Jade suggested playfully.  
"No, I'd probably be too jealous. It's nice to think about, though."  
"I knew you always thought that."  
Adam smiled against Jade's shoulder. He didn't say another word, and moments later, they were both asleep.  
Jade's eyes fluttered open and he smiled to himself. Adam's arms were tightly secured around his waist, and he laid there for a while, just enjoying the feel of it. Adam had been gone for nine long weeks, and he missed him more than words could ever describe.  
They had been together for just under a year, and it had been the most blissful time of his life. There had been bumps in the road, mostly due to Adam's pigheaded brutishness, but they had worked their way through it, and he felt just as adored as Adam told him he was. If not, more.  
When he had decided that Adam had been asleep long enough, he turned in his arms and started running his hands over Adam's chest. Jade watched Adam's face closely. He saw his eyes begin to move beneath his closed lids, and saw the smile that began to spread across his face. He waited until he was met with the vibrant blue of Adam's eyes before he kissed him.  
Adam cupped Jade's cheek, kissing him slowly. When he pulled away, he simply looked at Jade, his eyes taking in every feature for what seemed like the ten millionth time. Jade rolled out of his arms and stood up, walking towards the bathroom. Adam watched Jade's naked ass, and he laughed softly to himself.  
He stayed in bed, and waited for Jade to come back, but when that never happened, he stood up and sought him out. Adam found Jade in the kitchen, sitting on the counter, eating a shiny, red apple and flipping through his Blackberry.  
He held the phone to his ear, and smiled sweetly at Adam, who walked over and stood between his thighs.  
Jade rolled his eyes when he heard the voicemail pick up. He waited for the beep, and began delivering his message.  
"I know why you're not picking up, you prick. It's because you're a God damn asshole and are terrified of my wrath. How dare you not tell me that Adam was flying back. When all I could do was bitch and moan, you knew the _one thing_ that would console me. Yet, you kept it to yourself. So fuck you for that! Either that, or you're still on a plane and have your phone off. Or you're sleeping to try to get on Milan time. So fuck you for that, too!" Jade paused, his tone turning to one of genuine, heartfelt gratitude. "Thank you, Hunter. Thank you so much. I love you. Goodbye."  
Jade hung up his phone and set it on the counter, leaning forward and kissing Adam on the top of the head. Adam smiled and kissed the center of Jade's chest.  
"You know we're going to have to clean these counters off before we put food on them, right?" Adam said with a smirk.  
Jade shrugged, smiling when Adam leaned forward and took a bite of the apple. "Then we won't cook."  
Adam tipped his head up to look at Jade and Jade set his apple down and brushed his hands over the sides of his face. The reverence in Adam's eyes made Jade want to blush, but he held the other man's gaze.  
"I want Mexican food." Jade said, sliding off the counter and brushing his naked body against Adam's.  
Adam groaned a little bit, reaching out to try to pull Jade closer. Jade slapped his hands away and gave a sly smile. "No sex today. We're recuperating. We're sore."  
"I'll get over it." Adam said gruffly, reaching out for Jade again. Jade slapped his hands away, harder this time, and shook his head.  
"No."  
Adam sighed. "Fine. I have work to do, anyway."  
Jade laughed, walking into the bedroom and rifling through drawers to find clothes to wear. He pulled out a pair of lounge pants and turned around, facing Adam, who was staring rather lasciviously at him. He tossed the pants at Adam, and pulled out boxers, sliding them on.  
By the time Jade finished dressing himself, Adam was up in his office, working. He climbed the spiral staircase, to find Adam sitting at his desk, working on his computer. He walked over and stood behind Adam, kissing the back of his head.  
"Sorry." Adam said, genuine contrite weighing his words. "I'm a day behind, and I need to get this information emailed to Hunter so he has it to review tomorrow for Monday."  
Jade shook his head, though Adam couldn't see it. "It's fine."  
Adam turned around and kissed Jade's chin. He knew Jade wasn't upset that he was working when they should probably be lying in bed cuddling or whatever it is couples that have been apart for so long should do. For this, Adam was truly grateful. Jade's understanding far surpassed that of many whom Adam had known in his lifetime.  
Jade stepped away, beginning to walk down the stairs. "Do you want anything?"  
"Nope. I'm fine."  
"I'll see you later, then." Jade said, making his way down the stairs and out of the loft.  
Adam was so engrossed in his work, that he heard neither the front door opening nor the soft footsteps ascending the staircase. It wasn't until Jade was pulling Adam's chair back that Adam knew Jade had even returned.  
Jade stepped in front of Adam, looking down at him through a veil of brown and blonde locks. Adam knew that look, and he felt himself begin to harden. Jade ran his hands into Adam's hair and yanked his head back, kissing him forcefully. Adam slid his tongue in and out of Jade's mouth, reaching around to grab Jade's ass through the thick material of his jeans.  
Jade devoured Adam's mouth, and Adam let him take control. Jade kissed his way down Adam's bare chest dropping to his knees. He yanked down the lose-fitting bottoms, leaving them bunched around his knees. He looked up at Adam, and then looked at Adam's cock, opening his mouth and taking all of Adam in. He swallowed around the girth, rolling his tongue along the underside of Adam's shaft, coating him with as much saliva as he could. He pulled back, placing a kiss on the head of Adam's cock, and stood up.  
He dropped his pants, frowning when he realized he had to actually take them off. He didn't bother with his tee shirt, which oddly enough, turned Adam on even more. There was something illicit about fucking while still partially clothed.  
Jade stood so that he was straddling Adam's thighs, and reached down to grab Adam's cock. He lowered himself, and Adam's hands went to his hips to help guide him. He sat down, taking all of Adam in. He gave himself a moment to adjust, and then rocked his hips forward, creating a gentle rhythm.  
Adam began using his hands to move Jade's hips in the directions that best suited him. Jade tilted his head back and let out a breathy moan. Jade used his feet as leverage, and leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Adam's neck. He pressed their bodies together, trapping his erection between their stomachs and groaning deeply at the pleasurable friction.  
Jade's thighs began to strain, and whether it was from the motion or his impending orgasm, he couldn't be sure. Adam pressed his lips to Jade's neck and bit down, leaving a red mark that would, no doubt, later become a bruise.  
Adam felt his orgasm building in the pit of his stomach, and made no sound as he came hard, digging his short nails into Jade's soft skin. Jade rode Adam for a few moments longer before he, too, came, shooting his cum between their bodies.  
Jade sat down fully, leaning forward and kissing Adam, tangling his fingers into Adam's hair. Adam's eyes were open as they kissed, and the intensity was so deep that he felt it in his bones. Jade broke the kiss, dropping his head on Adam's shoulder and taking in large, gasping breaths.  
Jade sat back, reached down to the hem of his tee shirt and pulled it off, wiping them both clean, and dropping the shirt onto the floor. When he felt he was strong enough, he stood up, stretching a bit.  
He looked down at Adam, who smirked. "So much for not having sex today."  
Jade scoffed, tossing his hair out of his face. "Oh please. Saturdays and Sundays were created for two things: Sex and sports."  
A ghost of a smile appeared on Jade's lips for the briefest of moments before he frowned. "It's hot in here. It's hot outside, too."  
"Turn the air up?" Adam suggested, lifting his hips and pulling his bottoms back up.  
Jade shook his head, walking towards the staircase. "I think I'm going to go for a swim. When you're finished, you should join me."  
Adam took Jade's suggestion as an order. "I would have been done by now if I hadn't been distracted."  
Jade didn't respond as he made his way down the stairs to change into his swim trunks. Adam heard the front door slam shut several minutes later, and he continued sending all of his information to Hunter. It took him almost half an hour, but when he was finished, he changed into his swim trunks and made his way out onto the roof.  
He squinted his eyes against the late afternoon sun and scanned the pool, seeing Jade lying in a floating lounge chair. His eyes were closed, and Adam wondered briefly if he was sleeping. It was obvious that he hadn't been spotted, and a sly smile spread across his lips.  
He slunk into the pool, moving slowly in an attempt to displace as little water as possible. He managed to make his way over to Jade and took a deep breath before submerging himself. In one swift motion, he came back up, bumping Jade's raft from the bottom and tipping Jade over and into the cool water.  
He started laughing, and laughed even harder when Jade surfaced, gasping for air, and looking like a drowned rat. Jade's glare could turn the pool water into ice, and Adam brought his laughter to a slow stop.  
"You fucking asshole." Jade muttered, flipping his raft over and climbing back on top of it.  
Adam folded his arms over the side of the chair, and Jade's glare slowly turned to a smile when he saw Adam's innocent look. He brushed his hand over Adam's cheek, and then put his hand over his face, shoving him back down under the water.  
Adam reemerged, shaking his head and repositioning himself, resting his head so he could look up at Jade. "Yeah. I probably had that one coming."  
Jade scoffed. "You bet your sweet ass you did."  
Adam smiled, bearing his teeth. He slipped down and under the water coming back up and floating along the water on his back. He stared up at the early summer sky and sighed. Everything felt so normal and so _right_. It was one of those moments when you realize that everything has fallen into place, and you just know that you are in the right place at the right time with the right person.  
His heart began to beat quickly, and instead of feeling fear that he would lose it all, he was excited. He didn't know why he was excited, but he knew that he was. He smiled, and then swam over to the edge of the pool, pulling himself out.  
"You're glistening." He heard Jade call from the pool.  
He turned around and smiled, shaking his hair out again. He picked up one of their towels off the pool side chair and began patting himself dry. He laid the towel out and sat down, stretching himself along the chair, closing his eyes and letting the warmth of the fading sun dry his body.  
He looked up and scanned the pool, and suddenly got a wave of deja vu. Jade was floating in the water, still, trailing his fingers along the calm water. He felt that Jade should have had a drink, to make the whole thing complete, but it still felt strange. He knew this scene, but couldn't think of why.  
There was a splash in the water, and he looked over to find the vacated lounge chair bobbing along in the choppy water. He could see Jade's silhouette moving along the bottom of the pool and he closed his eyes again, covering them with his arm. Moments later, he felt cold water dripping on him and he smiled.  
He spoke without opening his eyes. "Are you finished?"  
Suddenly there was a cold, wet, weight straddling him, and he was forced to open his eyes. Jade's hair was sticking up in various directions and Adam laughed, causing Jade's body to move in time with his own. Two cold hands settled themselves on his cheeks, and Jade leaned forward, pressing his lips to Adam's.  
Adam kissed him back, bringing his hands up to Jade's back, and pulling his body down on top of him. The chill that the feel of Jade's cool, wet, skin pressing against his own caused was almost greater than the chill caused by the feeling that he had done this all before.  
Jade pulled his head up, kissing Adam's cheeks, his jaw, and finally the center of his throat before rolling to the side and cuddling up next to Adam's sun-warmed body.  
"I love you." He whispered in Adam's ear. He turned his head, locking eyes with Adam. He wanted Adam to see the truth in his eyes. "I love you so much I can't even stand to think about it sometimes."  
Adam lifted his head and kissed him again. "I love you, too, Jade."  
Jade rested his head on Adam's chest, and let himself be held. Most of the other tenants forgot that they had a pool on the roof, so it was safe to say that they wouldn't be disturbed. Jade could feel himself drying out, and could smell the chlorine on their skin. There would certainly have to be a shower later.  
But for now, this was perfect.  
"I've dreamed about this." Adam began slowly. "Today with you and me. Here. By the pool. A long time ago, before we were even together. I had this dream every night until the first night I spent with you. Then I never had it again. It was almost exactly the same, except in my dream, you had a drink."  
"You mean that drink?" Jade asked, pointing across the pool to a cup that was sitting on the edge.  
"That's so strange." Adam said, looking over to where Jade was pointing. "Every detail was the same. Even what you said. Most of the time, when I had that dream, I didn't know it was you. And then when I did, it was still the same. But better. It's just...I wonder what it meant."  
"I think it means you're a freak." Jade said with a laugh. "Who the hell knows?"  
Adam laughed, shaking his head. "Did you ever dream about me?"  
He could feel Jade nodding. "Before we were together, most of my dreams involved me choking you to death because you were nothing but atrocious to me. Now, most of my dreams that have you in it involve a whole lot of sex. Good sex. Really good sex. And funny thing, when I wake up, we usually end up having really good sex. Isn't it wonderful how life works out?"  
Adam wrapped his arms around Jade, pulling him closer. They laid there until the late afternoon turned to dusk, and when the sun finally disappeared behind the coastline, they climbed up out of the chair, and made their way off the rooftop and into the elevator that would take them back to their floor.  
Jade held his floating chair close to his chest, and looked over at Adam, smiling devilishly.  
"Chlorine makes my hair yuckie."  
"Mine, too."  
"What do you say we go inside, get in the shower, get all clean, and curl up in bed and watch a romantic movie? Something like, _Die Hard_ or _Die Hard With A Vengeance_."  
Adam chuckled. "Or porn."  
"Better yet, why don't we hop in the shower, get clean, fuck, curl up in bed, watch porn, fuck again, and then sleep?"  
The elevator doors opened, and they stopped in front of their door.  
"Jade." Adam began, looking at the other man adoringly. "You always have the most fantastic ideas."  
And he did. Adam knew, that despite their decision not to have sex, they would most likely follow through with Jade's plan. Just because he wanted to make Jade happy. He had always wanted only that, and he always would.


End file.
